Resurrection
by terminal insanity
Summary: UPDATE: CHAP 6 UP! lina and gourry search for a sword to replace the hikari no ken, while amelia plots to get her chimera. meanwhile, rumours of a new hellmaster abound amongst the mazoku.
1. prologue

Prologue 

The hospital room was dark and dimly lit, the only source of light being the steadily beeping machines that helped her live. The lone occupant of the room stirred from her fitful sleep. Her dreams, which had all begun beautiful and carefree, had eventually ended up as dark and nightmarish as her present. Her skeletal body shone with a glistening sheen of cold sweat. She gave an agonized start, and opened her eyes as wide as she could. It had only been a nightmare, just another nightmare. They had been plaguing her ever since she had awoken in the cold hospital bed, lying on stiffly starched sheets, with the life-support machines telling her just how narrowly she had escaped death. She lay in the white hospital bed, a pale, wheezing wisp of a girl. Her hair was thin and lackluster, a shadow of her once vibrant waterfall of hair, and her pale green eyes, eyes that used to shine with the luminous light of the moon itself, had lost their sparkle. Beneath the translucent layer of silken skin, one could see the intricate network of veins and capillaries that was all the life left in her.

A cough tickled the back of her throat and she reached for the glass of water by the side of her bed, only to find it empty, again. How she kept finishing the water in it was beyond her. Most of the time, she couldn't even remember having drunk more than a sip, which was all she could down, before the familiar gagging sensation overwhelmed her. The large glass pitcher half-filled with clear, sparkling water lay beside the empty glass. She had once been a strong girl raised in a famous vineyard and made from the time she could walk, to help out. But now, and she laughed hoarsely from the irony, she could scarcely lift her hand, let alone a half-full pitcher of water or a bushel full of prize wine grapes.

Her hands struggled to gasp the little button that would alert a nurse of her discomfort. With a small grunt of pain, she grabbed the thin, white cable and dragged it nearer to her. She pressed the little button that jutted out, just begging to be pressed, and patiently waited for a nurse to enter her room. She waited a minute or so and, when nobody came to check on her, pressed it again, more forcefully this time. She would have pressed it a third had the door not opened and someone not stepped in.

A short little boy with tousled black hair walked into the dimly lit room, a cheerful smile on his face. He could not have been more than eight or nine years of age and was dressed in an azure blue bodysuit. A weird armor-like breastplate covered most of his chest, small as it was, and a sky blue sash was tied around his slender waist, knotted neatly at on side. He saw the confusion on her pain-weary face and his smile grew wider.

"You won't live much longer, you know." He said casually, sounding more as if he were discussing the weather. "In fact," he continued, almost off-handedly, "I'm surprised you've lived this long. Most people would've died within a day if they had been subjected to what you had." His wide, childishly innocent grin turned mocking as he recalled exactly how she had come close to being mauled to death by a wolf, and not just _any_ wolf, but one of the Beastmaster's that had _accidentally_ wandered oh-so-off-course.

She said nothing, not that he had expected her to anyway, and her mouth hung open like a gaping goldfish. In all truth, half-alive as she was, she looked profoundly amusing. He was relishing the delicious despair and apprehension that emanated from her, then, he remembered the reason for his visit.

"I've noticed you, known you from the day you were born." He waited for a reaction from her. He was about to give up and continue, when a soft, wavering voice stopped him.

"How can that be possible? I'm older than you, and you're just a little boy."

He had expected exactly that from her. Humans…they were just too predictable, too boring by his standards. Well, at least _most_ of them were… He laughed, a strange, eerie sound that seemed to bounce off the walls of the room and vibrate through her body. She was astounded by the fact that he appeared to be making so much noise, and yet, no one was checking in on her. His odd laughter rang out for several seconds more, before he ceased. And even so, it seemed to linger in the air, and echoing mockery of her frail state.

"Looks can be very deceiving…" He put a sweet, charming grin that, were it not for the fact that it almost instantaneously turned feral, reminded her of the child angels her mother had once told her about.

"Wh-who are you?" She whispered, hating how her voice trembled with unspoken fear.

He drank in the waves of trepidation that flowed from her in a swift, steady stream. It was so rich and heady he nearly purred like a kitten sated with a bowl of thick cream put in front of it. His luminous moon-washed eyes frosted over with a hunger that was just beginning to be fed. His eyes glowed a pale cyan as he lapped up the smooth silky tendrils of anxiety and nervousness.

She watched, a chill of foreboding freezing her spine, as he stood there, that primal grin on his face and his eyes glowing like electric blue coals. He was the strangest, and most certainly the scariest, child she had ever seen. In his current state, he barely even looked human. And then memories of childhood stories about mazoku and how some hid under your bed if you cluttered up the space beneath it, how some lurked in dark cupboards, waiting to be set free, how they waited in shadowy corners to pounce on you and devour you, surfaced. As a little girl, she had believed them as readily as she had believed in the bogeyman, and birthday wishes, and those made upon a shooting star. As an adolescent, she had thought them legends, a myth that _might_ have existed several eons ago, when the world was still fresh and molten. Then as a teen, studying the spiritual art of magic, she had believed in them again.

"You-you're not human. You're a mazoku." She stammered, amazed that sound had come out of her shivering form.

At once, he snapped out of whatever trance he had been in. The glow faded into nothing and his eyes snapped back into focus, but the evil smirk on his face remained. For a long time, he did not reply. But when he finally did, his voice was a silky purr, deadly in its softness.

"Who else did you expect? The devil? The grim reaper in his hooded black cloak and long, sharp scythe?" He watched in sheer amusement as her eyes widened and her pupils dilated out of the reflex fight-or-flight stimulus. "Oh no, the grim reaper has no cloak and owns no scythe, and the devil couldn't give two hoots about who lived and who died. Oh _no_." He paused to let his words sink in. "I'm not the devil, though that's in my opinion, neither am I the grim reaper, if _he_ even exists. But either way, you are going to die, and very soon too. And when you die, do you know where it is that you pass on to? Do you want to know?"

She shook her head, terrified, not knowing that all she accomplished was to feed him, and strengthen him further.

"No matter. I'll tell you anyway. It's not truly hell, if you believe hell to be a fiery pit of lava with pitchforks poking and prodding at you. Oh, but don't be mistaken in believing that it is heaven, blissful and paved with gold. No. Where you go, where _everybody_ goes to in the end, no matter how pious, how strongly devoted they are to the Dragon Gods, to the Demon Lord, to L-sama herself, is where I live." The child-like innocence in him, whatever little remained, departed, and a sliver of insanity slipped into those lunar orbs of his. "It's crystal sharp and simple. It's nothing fancy, not like the elaborate halls within the stone walls on Wolf Pack Isle. It's cold, but not frozen, like the bitter north. It's everything, and at the same time, nothing, light, glaring and bright, yet deep and pitch-black. An empty, eternal abyss that spans forever. _That's_ where you'll be going very, very soon…"

She lay unmoving, frozen in shock, in total fear. "No…I don't believe you… My mother told me that all good people go to paradise…"

He let her cling on to those last shreds of comfort, before ripping them from her grasp.

"And would you like to hear her new and edited views of where dead people go to?" He sneered.

She remained motionless, her eyes glazed over. Silently, mentally, she made her desperate pleas. _I don't want to go there…I don't want to go there…_

As if reading her mind, he walked slowly towards her until he stood by her bedside. She cringed at his nearness and flinched openly at his words. 

            "But you don't _have_ to go there…no, you can escape all that. It's a relief from your impending death, and pretty permanent. It all sounds very nice, doesn't it?" Out of thin air, he produced a sparkling amber orb. It was slightly larger than half and inch in diameter and its insides swirled with an almost liquid smoothness. Her breath caught at the sight of the gem. "Beautiful, isn't it? It used to shine and glow very brightly, almost like the sun. But then, recently, something happened, and the light died to what it is now."

He held it suspended over his hand, and brought it nearer, where she could get a better glimpse of it. With his free hand, he touched one of the electrodes attached to her temple and yanked it off, then, he repeated the process with the one on the other side. She quivered at his trance-like voice. Not only was he inhuman, he was crazy too. He slowly slid out one of the needles in her arm that connected to a drip, careful to elicit a sharply drawn hiss of pain from her. She whimpered at the sudden chill and weakness that washed over her. Within seconds of him dropping the rubber tube and needle on the floor, a hairline crack appeared on the golden sphere. She writhed at the sudden bone-deep ache in her, her breaths coming in laboured gasps.

He took the orb between his thumb and index finger and lightly applied pressure. The crack lengthened. Corresponding with the growing flaw, she screamed, a sound almost beautiful in its sharp crystalline purity. He eased his fingers and let the orb float once more above his open palm. Her screams gradually ceased and her tightly clenched fists relaxed slightly. She wheezed, a strange whistling rattle that sounded with each breath that she took.

"Meet your soul." He whispered into her ear.

She screamed again, not in pain, but in fear. She thrashed loudly against the bed, hoping, praying for someone to come in to check on her.

"There's no use. I killed them, killed them all with a flick of my wrist. Scream as loud as you want, but the dead can't hear you." He waved the cracked orb in front of her, taunting her with the cruel fact that her life, whatever little remained in the soulorb, was his to control. "Just hear me out first, how's that? I have an offer to make you."

She nodded slightly, not wanting to enrage him. Who was he, that life and death mattered so little? Who was he that he could kill with a flick of his wrist?

Pleased that he now had her attention, he removed the soulorb from her view. "Your life." Seeing the confusion that played on her face, he continued. "That's what you want, don't you? Or do you still want to die?"

"N-no."

"Good. I give you a long, long life, and you help me. Is that a fair trade? Your life, to do as you choose after you help me." He smiled, the villainous smirk gone, leaving only traces of angelic innocence. "And there's no catch either. Sounds really nice, doesn't it?"

"What do you want me to do?" She found it terrifying that she was even considering his offer, but the prospect of having her life back proved too enticing for her to refuse.

"So you'll do it?" Smiling even more widely at her shaky nods, he withdrew the damaged soulorb from the pocket in space where he had kept it, and brought it back in front of her. "Like I said before, this is your soul, every last bit of it. And if I were to break it… In simple terms, you'd die, but there would still be a small amount of energy left I your body. It's not much, but it's enough for me to resurrect you." He looked on, noticing with amusement at how she reached weakly for it. "Do you want it?" He placed it in her damp palm. "Here it is then." And punctuated his sentence with an effortless press.

The soulorb shattered into a million shimmering shards, glowing lights from the monitors and machinery reflected off the pieces of the broken orb, sending a brilliant array of colours spraying out. She gave a choked gasp as life was drained out of her. She struggled for breath, her arms and legs flaying about in asphyxiated agony. Her eyes, panicked, flashed with the acid betrayal that she felt, the same treachery that left him bright-eyed and satiated. At the same time, the monitors sparked to life, the machines sounding together in a cacophony of metallic beeps. Within seconds, her struggles ceased, though she gave several involuntary jerks, her muscles going into spasms. A long, continuous beep interrupted the stillness of the dead room, and he shut of the noisy machine. With a petite hand, he brushed the pale hair out of her wide, unstaring eyes.

"Don't worry, you'll live again soon." He slid his hand down her face and covered her eyes. He held her limp hand in his and then, began to fade into the darkness and shadows, taking her along with him.

Author's Notes:

This actually started out as an English assignment last year, but I ran out of inspiration within the first few paragraphs or so and dumped it into my computer. Then a couple of days ago, I was just randomly looking through all my saved trash and crap and I came across an article I couldn't identify. I opened it and voila. I edited it a lot, extended all existing paragraphs, added paragraphs etc… And there you have it… Believe it or not, I was crazy enough to try and use Phibby in my English essay last year…this was the result of it…and I didn't even complete it in the end…suffice to say, I didn't pass it up… I'd appreciate it if you could give me ideas for a title… After all, I can't keep calling this fic "A Fic Whose Title I Haven't Thought Of Yet"…right? And now, due to my ever-annoying brother, I shall stop.

terminal_insanity


	2. chapter one

The rain had finally stopped and the road was a cesspit of sluggish, brown mud. It flowed listlessly down the gentle slope. Still, the storm was over, and the sun had come out from behind the clouds once again. The sun warmed the land and the air, banishing the chill that had remained from the winter, the cold that had returned with the early spring rain. The balmy light fell upon the lush, green grass, wet with fat raindrops, scattering the light in a million sparkling pinpricks.

Two figures, shrouded in a cloak of black, treaded slowly from the dark canopy near by. They advanced towards the waterlogged dirt path, taking slow, unhurried steps. When they exited the dense forest, they shook the water off themselves and followed the river of mud down the hill, towards the small town.

"I told you we were going the wrong way!"

"But the map said to go the other way, and I thought if we followed the map this time instead of your-" He received a well-placed smack up-side the head as his companion glared furiously.

"First of all, Gourry, I _always_ go the correct way-"

"What about last week?" He asked. "We ended up at the edge of a cliff instead of a road."

"So I missed a turn or two here and there. I got us to the road, didn't I? Now where was I-ah…yes. Secondly, the map only brings you to the correct place if you don't have it upside-down!!!"  She shouted the last few words, and punctuated her sentence with yet another punch to his head.

"But Lina," he whined, "It's not my fault…I couldn't find the arrow."

She sighed with exasperation. As if he wasn't thickheaded enough, now he had to be blind as well? She whipped out a worn map from inside her black cloak, its edges blacked, almost charred, and crumpled from hours of screaming, yelling, over who was right and who wasn't, and whether they were going the right way or not. "Gourry," she said, nudging him with her elbow. "The arrow is right here- eh? No, it's over…" She frowned when her finger traced the yellowed parchment and, as Gourry had claimed, found no sign of a North arrow.

"That's strange…" she muttered, glad that she hadn't had to hurt Gourry again. He knew better than to say 'I told you so.' "I could've sworn it was over here when we bought it from that guy." She pointed to an empty spot on the bottom-right corner of the map.

"Maybe that was a different map. We _have_ been going everywhere, maybe it was on another map." He put an arm around her shoulders and continued walking down the grassy hill. "Thanks for trying to find me a new sword."

"Ah, stuff it already. You can't travel with me if you don't have a sword with you, especially a magical one. L-sama knows what we'll encounter…" She replied gruffly.

"Another thing, Lina." His voice was oddly serious. Not again…she knew what was coming. "We can't continue travelling like this forever."

"Why not, Gourry? Nothing's happened so far. No Dark Lords looking for revenge, no plots to take over the world, no hints of dark sorcerers planning world domination…well, not yet at least." She paused a moment to consider. "Maybe not _forever_," She conceded. "But not so soon either."

"It hasn't been that long yet, but one day…we can't continue like this for long, especially with you in this…condition."

"Idiot… This is partly _your _fault too, you know." She sidestepped a rock and kicked at a nearby pebble.

He grinned contentedly. "At least we got married first." His remark promptly earned him a passage headfirst into a muddy puddle.

"Wise-guy…" She muttered, wondering what had possessed her that night, that she had actually married Gourry.

They managed, probably through divine intervention that decided that Gourry had had more than enough punishment for the day, to make it to the tiny town at the base of the hill without anymore whacking, punching and similar injury-inducing actions.

It was evening when they found an inn, for although the hill had been gentle, it had been large. The innkeeper had raised an eyebrow when Lina had asked for one room, a comment ready to be delivered, only to be silenced into submission by a flame-orange light growing in her hand. He handed her the key to the room without so much as a squeak. She sent one last glare, before climbing the stairs to their room. Behind her, Gourry stood at the front desk, politely apologising for his wife's actions. She was pregnant, you see, and surely mood-swings would be a common occurrence.

She left the door open for him and sank onto the bed, sighing with relief. She yanked her boots off and unclasped her cloak, draping it over a chair.

"Long day, huh. Don't suppose it affected your appetite any?"

"No, and say another word and I'll make you regret it."

He shrugged and removed his armour piece by piece and sat on the floor by the bed. "I don't suppose I could make amends…"

"Foot massage, Gourry, and now."

He groaned. He should have seen that coming like a fireball to his head. Still, if it would appease his tired, bad-tempered wife, and prevent a _real_ fireball from being aimed at his head, he supposed he could put up with it…again. He yanked off his own boots. If he was going to have to sit there for the next half-hour or so, he might as well make himself comfortable. He laid his temporary sword next to him and began rubbing her sore feet. They _had_ walked a great deal, lately. Still no luck with his sword though. He sighed. There would never truly be a replacement for the Sword of Light, _his_ Sword of Light. Not, just because of its power, its capabilities, but because it had been in his family for generations. It had been a gift to him from his father when he had finally come of age, and he had wanted it to be a gift for his own child, one day. No chance of _that_ happening now, he supposed.

When Lina was satisfied that he had paid sufficiently for his crimes, however small and non-existent they might be, she let him bring her for dinner. That night, dinner was simple; chicken, fish, spiced rice and enough ale to get both of them the slightest bit high. However, simple as dinner may have been, they still ate more than enough to feed the entire army of Seyruun for perhaps even a week. They were still suffering from the effects of liquor when they reached their room, but that day had been harrowing and regardless of the ale muddling their senses, they were simply too tired to do anything. Perhaps the following night… They managed to change into their respective nightclothes and get into bed without any major mishaps. A kiss or two, maybe a lazy trail of fingers, but their weary bodies allowed them only that and nothing more.

Gourry pulled her closer to him, absently stroking her hair as she slept soundly in his arms. He wasn't as tired as her tonight, but neither was he brimming with energy. His body already ached for the comfort of sleep, so why couldn't he seem to sleep? The moon had already risen high in the sky before he felt sleep overpower whatever force had kept him awake for so long. He delivered a gentle kiss to her neck, marvelling once again at her strange beauty. He murmured something into her ears and yawned as wide as a cat. Then his eyelids shut and he knew no more.

The following morning approached with vengeance. Sunlight streamed full into his face, refusing him the succour of prolonged sleep. He groaned I protest, aimlessly trying to block off the intense light with an arm. He felt Lina stir in his arms, before he heard her contented yawn. At least _one_ of them had managed to get some sleep. How was it that it felt as if he had only just fallen asleep? He felt her shift, then entangle herself from his bone-weary arms.

"Gourry, you're heavy…" She complained. "Move…"

"Tired." He moaned a curt reply. Still, he tried to lift his arm, heavy as it felt to him, off her. He felt a gentle poke in his side, then a soft purring in his ear.

"Why so tired, Gourry? Anything I can do to help?" It was an invitation and rare as it was, he found himself turning it down. How he wished he had the energy she had, but _she_ hadn't been the one plagued with sleepless nights and exhausted days.

"Not today, Lina. I'm very tired…" He muttered from beneath her pillow, the pillow he was currently enlisting in defeating the dazzling sunlight. He mumbled an apology from beneath the soft object when he received a probably well-deserved smack to his head. Thankfully, the pillow absorbed most of the impact. He heard the soft, almost silent, rustle of fabric, and the loud, angry thuds of her booted feet, followed by the door slamming shut, a flurry of muted cursing trailing down as she went for breakfast when he didn't immediately pursue to seek peace.

However, when he never showed up for breakfast and she found him, _still_ asleep, in their bed, worry took over. Lina had no idea if she had done anything to make him angry in any way, and in truth hadn't really, but it simply wasn't like him to miss breakfast. Or any other meal for that matter. Suddenly feeling guilty for whacking him in the head earlier, and the previous day both inside, and out side the thick forest, she padded noiselessly to the bed where his free arm was now dangling off, barely an inch from the wooden floor. She touched a hand tenderly to his forearm lying limply on his chest.

"Gourry? Hey, Gourry?" She whispered. "You awake?" She received a worn-out, scarcely coherent answer, and a failed attempt to grasp her fingers. "Are you okay?" He remained quiet, or at least it seemed that way to her. "You missed breakfast." She continued, as if that alone was enough, and it was. When he _still_ said nothing, she sat down on the bed, beside him and sighed. "Are you angry with me, Gourry? Look, I'm sorry I kept hitting you yesterday, then. And just now…"

"No…" Had she heard that? Or was she just hearing things. He repeated it again, maybe for her benefit. "No, didn't sleep well last night…or the night before, and before that…" He explained, and then promptly fell asleep again.

So _that_ was why he had looked so worn-out, so drained these past few days…

Getting off from her perch on the bed, she said, "I'll go get some stuff from the apothecary…but you had better not still be asleep when I get back." She warned sharply. Gourry smiled at that. He supposed that was the closest he could ever get to a full apology from Lina. He waved his hand slightly in semblance of a wave, goodbye, or otherwise, she couldn't really tell.

She strolled to the apothecary, taking her time to take in the sights she saw along the way. It had been rather late when they had finally reached the town, and quite dark too. It had seemed dark and foreboding at night, noises from the stretch of forest atop the hill resounding in the black night. But it was so much more welcoming in daylight. The greenery extended to the town, bright grassy patches scattered here and there, spotted with colourful spring flowers. Trees displayed their fresh coat of leaves, glossy and damp from the nighttime mists. The ground was still wet, the dirt paths muddy from the early spring rains. She splashed through a muddy puddle along the way, cursing mildly at her rotten luck.

The apothecary was a large building that loomed before her, making her feel even shorter than her already unimpressive height. It looked dark and musty from the outside, emphasized by the lively evidence of spring sprinkled all over town. She entered.

The inside was starkly different from what she had imagined, standing outside. Within its blackened windows, the shop was brightly lit, eliminating shadows from even the narrowest of crevices. The air was thick with the stilted taint of herbs, spices, exotic spellcasting ingredients and the like, but it could not be called a stench. She breathed in deeply, loving the herbal scent. She looked around. This place was larger than most apothecaries she had patronised, which was precisely the reason why she had insisted that she and Gourry stop by this town. It was two storeys high and packed with spellcasting paraphernalia in every corner. She was examining a package of dried spices when a chipper voice stole into her thoughts.

"May I help you?"

Lina spun around to face the owner of the voice, appalled when she saw a girl, barely in her adolescent years, standing behind a counter. The girl must have seen the look on her face, for she laughed, a bright tinkle that lit up the room impossibly further.

"I know… I don't seem old enough, nor the type, do I?" She shook with a bit more laughter, then continued. "Grandpa's got a bad leg. He's been resting the past couple of days. Doctor's orders. But I've been helping him for a long time already, so I know…enough. You need any help?" Her pale gold hair bobbed in a high ponytail as she made her way towards Lina.

Lina thought for a while, then remembered. "First things first, do you have anything to help ease insomnia? If that jellyfish sleeps any less, he's gonna turn into more of a zombie than he already is."

"Anything else?" The blonde asked. "We have something for aches and pains too. I don't suppose you need that?"

"I supposed that could come in hand when we're on the road." She listed a few more items, then made an odd request. "Could I talk to your grandfather for a while?"

Tilting her fair head to one side, she considered that option, then smiled and said in that seemingly perpetually energetic voice that was starting to make Lina a little giddy. "I suppose that wouldn't hurt. Why?"

"Ah…" Lina trailed off. "I'm looking for something and I heard he could help."

"Oh, then you've come to the right place. Grandpa's real old, but he knows lots of things. Come on," she motioned. "I'll take you upstairs." She bounced up the old staircase in one corner, Lina trudging up warily after her.

The second level was just as spacious as the first, with sachets and baskets full of items she could and couldn't identify. She was lead to a blank panel, and realised it was a door only when the girl knocked and turned the small wooden knob.

"Grandpa?" She murmured. "There's someone here to see you."

A dry, raspy croak replied. "All right." There was a shuffling; the man was probably making himself comfortable in bed. Lina entered, the girl closing the door noiselessly behind her. Soft footsteps indicated that she was returning to attend to any other customers.

"You are searching for something. Am I correct?" He asked, looking at her sagely. She nodded in confirmation. "So how may I be of service?"

She cleared her throat, not quite sure where to begin.

"A magical artefact?" He prompted.

"How did you know?" She wondered, not quite realising that she had spoken aloud.

"It's always that. Now what are you looking for? Perhaps I know of it."

"It's lie this. My fri-husband," she corrected. She was still having trouble addressing him as such. She'd have to try and overcome that in time. "He used to have a powerful magic sword, but it was destroyed, and since we frequently run into trouble, I was hoping to find him another sword, just as powerful. Do you know where to find something like that?"

"A sword as powerful as the Sword of Light? That's tough…"

"I never said it was the Sword of Light." There was something strange about this old man.

"You're Lina Inverse, aren't you?" 

"And you would say that because?" Definitely. There was something definitely not quite right with the man.

"You're a redhead, you're, if you'll excuse me for saying, not all that-ahem- well-endowed, and not all tat tall either."

She resisted the sudden urge to cast a Dragon Slave at him, seeing as how he might prove useful in finding Gourry a new sword. However, that did not stop her from threatening bodily harm at the next mention of her stature, or assets. She sent him a death glare and if looks could kill, he would certainly have ended up as shrivelled and lifeless as his medicines.

"I'm sorry. And that husband of yours, a certain blond swordsman, I suppose?" He laughed heartily at the faint blush that spread quickly across her cheeks. "I try and find out as much as possible about sorcerers and sorceresses as significant as you are, Ms Inverse. Or would you like me to address you in any other way?"

"That-That's fine. So since you know so much, can you help?"

"Well, a sword as powerful as that would unquestionably be rare… Let me think a bit, see if I can recall any thing useful…"

She watched, fascinated as he pondered, absently humming something old, almost ancient, a melody both nameless and tuneless. She was rapidly losing her patience when he sat up straight. She half expected him to shout 'Eureka!' with his hair tousled and in a mess.

"I don't quite know if its still there, if it even existed in the first place, but I remember when I was a boy, dreaming about becoming a swordsman when I grew up, I was told an ancient tale about a magnificent sword. Created by the Great Lord herself, it was said." Lina was starting to wonder if he was in his right mind, his arms were waving, gesturing in airy, frantic waves, his movements animated. But she believed him. His eyes glinted with boyish enthusiasm, his voice suddenly youthful again.

"It was to have been given to her most powerful Dark Lord, the lord of the Underworld, of all the souls, both dead and alive. It was said to be in his possession, the Hell-"

"The Hellmaster Phibrizzo. Yes, I'm…familiar with him." She snapped shortly, frowning at the memory of the mazoku Dark Lord.

"Of course you are." He murmured soothingly. "Anyway, it was said to be in his possession, or rather, in the hands of his General, Breeze, was it? I'm afraid my memory fails me in History. It was his, and hers, to command for centuries, several millennia, I think. Until it was lost at the end of the Great War. It was supposed to have vanished after the death of the Hellmaster's General. Of course you understand that its actual existence has never truly been confirmed."

"What can it do? More importantly, is it…_evil_ in any way?"

"Evil in that it would corrupt its wielder's soul? I don't know. But do keep in mind that it was once a possession of the Hellmaster's. Even if it wasn't evil to begin with, it most probably would be now."

"What can it do?"

"Ah, its capabilities. Well, similar to the Sword of Light, it's supposed to be able to amplify spells. The Sword of Light was, ultimately, a weapon of good. I'm not so sure about this one. Like I said before, it may not have been, but after soaking up so much of the Hellmaster's power over the millennia…" He didn't finish. He didn't have to.

"Anything else? That it can do, I mean."

"If it truly is an evil weapon, I suppose it would be quite useless against mazoku, but if it isn't, its origin alone should be enough to vanquish even the most powerful of mazoku."

"Even the General-Priest of a Dark Lord?" _A very annoying one_, she felt like adding. "It's that powerful?"

His aged eyes twinkled with humour. "I hear he travels with you?"

She frowned, an action almost identical to a pout. "_Travelled_." She amended for him. "And against our will too."

"Ah… Well, yes, it is. It _should_ be. This is all theoretical, of course. It's all hearsay, probably a figment of a bored man's imagination ages ago. But," and he paused for a moment. "But, if it isn't then good luck trying to look for it."

"I don't suppose it has a name worth mentioning? The Sword of Something-or-the-other?"

"Well, it was told to me so long ago… I'm not sure if I can properly remember it…"

"Look, how much do you want?" She demanded.

"You misunderstand me. My services are always free, at least for a person of good nature like you. I _really_ can't remember. It's been many decades…I once told my son when _he_ was a little boy, but… Hold on a moment…I'll see if I can recall…"

She tapped her foot impatiently, although she had to admit his was a rare breed, helping her for free, especially after she offered to pay him. He was a good man, she could tell.

"The Sword of Hellfire? Maybe I accidentally made that up…or perhaps I used it in a bedtime story once…I'm sorry. I truly can't remember… But if you manage to find that sword, please give me a visit. It's been a long time since I've had anything worth cataloguing, even if it is mentally."

Disappointed that she hadn't uncovered a name for that mythical sword, Lina's hopes fell, crashing. It was like all the other leads she had gotten, except that he had sounded so sincere…he couldn't possibly have been lying, could he? She had been fooled, tricked by the Hellmaster before, and she now found it hard to trust anyone, regardless of who they were and what they looked like. After all, didn't he appear as a young child, innocent, eager to escape a small-time town? Mentally, she cursed him, cursed his existence. At least he was dead and gone now. She, or rather the Lord of Nightmares, had personally taken care of that.

She thanked the old man, promised to visit him whether or not she located the sword, and retreated downstairs. His granddaughter had already wrapped up her purchases and packed them neatly into a bag. She paid for the items, and left a hefty tip for the old man's help, and left. Generosity was not something readily associated with her, but she succumbed to it every now and then. Besides, the man had seemed so bent on helping her…

She made her way back towards the inn that they had spent the night in, wondering if Gourry was still asleep. She wasn't sure if she should carry out her treat in the event that he was. He _was_ a thickheaded sometimes, but he was always so good-natured about her teasing and beating, and he really _did_ care, that she was finding it increasingly hard to stay mad at him for anything. And in addition, despite his lack of sleep lately, he hadn't complained about her hectic travelling schedules, her crankiness whenever they ended up lost in some forest or wooded area.

She entered their room quietly; in case he was still asleep, and dumped her bag of stuff on a small table near the single window, open to let in the breeze. She tread softly to the bed and removed the pillow that still covered his face. His face, covered with wrinkles from the pillow casing, was peaceful, the foolish grin he had given her as she left still in place. She nudged him gently with one hand, her other playing with his hair. It was so awfully shiny, silky smooth. She often wondered how it was always like that, no matter how filthy he was.

"Lina?" He mumbled, his voice husky with sleep. "Oh, you're back. I'm not awake yet. Are you gonna beat me up?" He teased, his eyes still closed, his mouth still upturned.

"Nah, I'm in a pretty good mood now. Maybe later though… I found out something that might be useful in our hunt for a sword." He had fallen silent again. Was he asleep? She poked him in the ribs just in case he was. "Are you listening, jellyfish?"

"Yeah…" He opened his eyes, blinking a few times as he tried to get used to the glaring sunlight that still shone in his face. He squinted at Lina, then sat up. "I'm hungry." He moaned in despair.

She elbowed him playfully. "If you had been awake just now, you could have eaten with me. Back to the sword. Oi, yoghurt-for-brains, are you listening?"

"Tell me while I eat breakfast, please?" He pleaded his hands clenched in semblance of prayer, his sapphire eyes large and dewy. He looked like a blond dog. She tried not to laugh.

"Fine. Get dressed or I might make you leave town like this." She pointed to his bare chest.

"I'm sure quite a few people wouldn't object." He flashed her a lascivious grin and yanked her beside him.

"Gourry!" She screeched, even if out of surprise. "It's daytime!"

"So?" He countered. "That's never stopped you before. Fine, fine, I'll settle for something smaller then…" He kissed her hot and hard on her lips, a day's worth of stubble chafing her chin slightly. He left her breathing hard, her breaths coming in short pants, before rising to retrieve his clothes. She swore, her face the same remarkable shade as her flaming hair.

It was still mildly flushed when they returned the key to the innkeeper, who gave her a knowing glance. Lina grit her teeth, resisting the urge to burn down the entire establishment.

"I'll buy you lunch." Gourry offered, trying to prevent further catastrophe.

"You _always_ buy me lunch." She retorted, but stopped frowning, both to Gourry and the innkeeper's relief.

They walked out into the busy streets, now cluttered with townsfolk. They made their way to the town border, away from the forest they had gotten lost in. They had barely made it to the signboards at the crossroads a hundred yards or so from the official border, when they heard a high-pitched voice calling them.

"Wait, stop!!!"


	3. chapter two

            "Wait, stop!!!"

            They immediately spun around. 

            The girl from the apothecary, the one with the weird grandfather.

            "Wait!!!" She called out, her voice frantic. Lina and Gourry both stood there, rooted to the ground.

            "Lina, who's that?" Gourry asked.

            She was about to deliver a sharp retort, a cutting remark for making her the object of the innkeeper's scrutiny earlier, when she remembered that he hadn't been with her when she had gone to see the old man.

            "Someone I met just now, when you were asleep."

            Panting, the girl finally caught up with them. "Grandpa forgot to give you this just now." She gasped. "It's a map of where it may be. He says to go ask around though, because it may not be the correct location. Oh, and good luck." She platinum blonde hair still bobbed as she breathed deeply. She turned, ready to return to her position behind the front counter in the shop, when she stopped. Remembering something, she dug her hands into the front pocket of her jumpsuit, and pulled out something small.

            "Here," She said, as she handed it to Lina. "Grandpa say's it's a talisman, for luck. He wanted me to remind you not to forget to visit us when you're done with your quest."

            Lina palmed the amulet. It was pale green in colour, almost luminescent. It gleamed, where it lay on her outstretched palm. It was clear, like a moon crystal. Its interior glittered, a barely noticeable shimmer, which she caught as the sunlight hit it just right. It was just a stone, nothing else, no length of cord to wear around her neck. She found it rather strange, for it surely looked like a pendant of some kind. She supposed that she could make it into one, but was loathed to mar the smooth, flawless gem, with its cleanly cut facets.

            She smiled at the girl, ponytail, blue jumpsuit and all. She dressed quite awkwardly for a girl entering her teenage years. She reminded Lina more of a child. She dismissed that feeling as paranoia. She couldn't help it if some people just refused to grow up. She glanced again at the pink shirt behind the jumpsuit, looked at the sneakers the girl wore. Probably couldn't be bothered to buy new clothes, she gathered, noticing the frayed edges at the bottom of the pant legs, the dirty, scuffed look to the sneakers, with their laces fuzzy and one frayed at the end, as if it had snapped. But her hair drove away all evidence of oldness. It shone like liquid gold, silky and pale, the sunlight lighting up her head like it did the talisman in her hand, so that it seemed almost like a halo.

            Shaking her head to clear it of thoughts, she waved bye and left for that restaurant at the edge of the mountain range. It was supposed to serve the best herbed roast chicken on this side of the Great Continent.

            As she and Gourry set off again, she unrolled the yellowing scrap of parchment. It was so faded she had to squint to make anything out. The marked roads were barely visible, as were the illustrated terrain and landmarks. Several handwritten notes were scribbled haphazardly along the bottom of the map, but like the rest of the map, it too, was faded into an almost indecipherable blur.

            "How is _this_ supposed to help?! It's so old, everything's probably changed already!" Lina protested, to no one in particular, outraged.

            "Were you talking to me, Lina?" Gourry asked, snapping out of whatever daze he had been in ever since his last statement. His only reply was a soft whack on the head with the rolled up map, which promptly bent in half the moment it made contact with his skull.

            "This thing's so damn old, I can't see a thing on it! How are we supposed to use it to help us find your sword?" She continued her tirade, this time, aiming it at him. She continued ranting at nothing, no one in particular, about nothing in particular for the rest of the three miles to the restaurant. He bore her aimless ramblings the way he always did; with great patience and care not to provoke any further than she already was.

            Due to Lina's furious pace, as she vented her frustrations, they were at the restaurant sooner than either of them had expected. However, with the prospect of food looming ahead, Lina soon brightened, and Gourry relaxed. It meant that she would calm down soon, and he'd get his breakfast as well. Killing two birds, or rather, chickens with one stone.

            They arrived at the restaurant while it was still morning and, with Gourry's sound advice, were soon seated, a waitress standing by their table, ready and waiting to take their order. The menu was set before each one of them, but before he could even say a word, Lina was busy jabbing her finger at several items on it, her digit a furious blur, as was the hand of the waitress who was struggling to copy her order down fast enough. Finally, after a long list of food had been compiled and Lina leaning back in her seat once more, the waitress sighed with relief. She turned to get the orders to the kitchen, when Lina called her back.

            "Hey! You haven't taken his order yet!"

            She walked back, with the intention of explaining to Lina that with so much food, she assumed that she had been ordering for two. However, she barely had the chance to open her mouth and shut it again when Gourry rattled out _his_ order, likewise, pointing at the corresponding items on the cardboard menu. He was as fast, if not slightly faster, than Lina, and the poor woman was furiously jotting down, word for word, every single item recited by Gourry. Sweat was already beginning to bead on her brow by the time Gourry was finished.

            "Please tell me you're both done now." She pleaded, her face a mask of weariness. She wrung her hands in panic at the moment of silence that grew.

            "We'll call for you if we need anything else." Lina told her airily.

            The waitress spluttered, both amazed and horrified that two people could eat as much as an army, maybe two, before walking to wards the kitchen, in a daze, to hand her entire pad of paper over to the chef. There was a brief, but loud, series of curses in the direction of the kitchen, as the chef apparently received the orders.

            "What do you suppose that sound is?" Lina asked her clueless companion, referring to the muffled swearing.

            "Dunno." He replied. "The wind?"

            It took a while, but their food started coming, plate after plate, after plate. They polished each plate off as soon as it reached them. It was a frenzied blur of arms, and mouths, the loud slurping and munching, chomping and the occasional 'That's mine!' that rang through the entire establishment, as all the patrons stared, not caring that it was rude to do so, at the two bottomless pits masquerading as humans.

            It was just afternoon, by the time they finished their food, Gourry trying to get at every last scrap of food that littered his otherwise spotless plates. They paid the pleased manager and left, Lina's pouch of gold feeling significantly lighter. Of course, she haggled over the prices first, but either way, they made the manager of the restaurant a richer man that day. Especially since no accidents had occurred that would require Lina to cast a fireball, or any other spell of equal or greater standing in terms of destruction caused.

            The neat path soon broke up into a messy dirt road, scrambled from the monsoon rains that had fed the fields of the valley. The sticky mud had all but dried up into a solid, but still slightly mushy crust. The fields, green with the freshly watered crops waved at them as a gentle zephyr blew by. The tall, emerald green stalks of corn swayed elegantly in soft, rolling waves for acres without end. In the distance, the lofty peaks loomed above the horizon, boulders and jagged rocks pushing it up higher with every step they took towards it. The violent points that were the summit were shrouded in a thick, impenetrable cloak of white; the feathery clouds a contrast to the jagged, sinister peaks.

            They walked in silence, listening to the quiet rustling of the wind making a plaything out of the endless fields of corn, the soft squelch as their boot-clad feet sank into a patch of rain-soak dirt not yet baked by the sun. The sun lit up the land with a halo of warmth and dazzling radiance, eliminating the subtle fear that the towering mountains invoked. Gourry sighed with contentment, his hands fastened loosely behind his head, as he strolled beside Lina, who was still absorbed in the task of deciphering the irrational scribbles that comprised the faded map. She groaned, unconsciously clenching her fist in abject frustration, the muted crinkle of parchment, made strident by the stillness of their surroundings, capturing Gourry's attention.

            "Figured out that map yet?" He asked, his tone nonchalant, as he gazed at the rolling plains. All he received as a warning before she struck him was a tense growl and the louder crinkling or the map.

She swung a wildly aimed punch at the swirling blonde hair where his head had been only mere moments before. She snarled and swung her other fist at him. He caught it easily in his larger hand ad held it gently, but firmly, as he soon did with her other fist as well, until he was certain that she wouldn't try and attack him again. She released a shudder of irritation and her shoulders sank in defeat.

"Sorry, Gourry." Tenderly, he laid an arm around her shoulders and pulled her closer to him.

"It's all right. Now, what can't you figure out? Maybe I can help?" He murmured soothingly into her ear. She rolled her eyes sky-wards in a gesture of disbelief. Still, it wouldn't hurt to let him have a go at unravelling that mess of washed out markings. She thrust the crumpled sheet of parchment into his hands.

"Here. Let's see if _you_ have any luck with it." She grumbled, pouting as she trudged along side Gourry.

He glanced at the barely visible scratchings that were supposed to be roads and paths. His brows furrowed as he stared intently at the map. He cocked his head to one side, then rotated it again and again, always studying it keenly. His lips moved noiselessly as he mumbled unintelligible words to himself, fingers absently rubbing the tattered edges as he mentally traced imaginary lines and routes. He was so absorbed in his rambling and searching that he barely noticed when he tripped over a stone, saved (and just scarcely at that) only by Lina, who decided she didn't want to see him sprawled all over the dirt, an ignoble accident to happen to a swordsman of Gourry's calibre.

The shadow over his forehead remained even after she insisted they sit down (she gave an excuse about her feet hurting from all the walking they had done at _his_ dreadfully swift pace). She sighed at the sight of his narrowed eyes, darkened blue as they continued their unrelenting perusal of the tangled web of lines.

"So how's it going, Gourry? Found anything yet?" She asked, curious about whether he had spotted something her sharp eyes had missed.

"Not really, but I think I'm getting somewhere…give me a little while more…" He trailed off, as he was once again engrossed in linking whatever clues he had uncovered.

Perched atop a hefty boulder that served as a seat, he let his index finger trail lazily across the map, idly tracing what remained of the inked roads. He remained oblivious to the crisp, clean nature that enveloped them, focusing only on the blurred tangle of sketches that filled the yellowed map. He made almost inaudible hums and murmurs as he drew invisible lines and connections. Then he smiled, his entire face lighting up as he found a possible link between the squiggles, the grim concentration and frown leaving his visage.

Excited at the prospect of a possible discovery, Lina jumped off the flat stack of stones that she had decided on and scrambled to Gourry's side. She peered intently at the map, trying to find what he so obviously had. All she could make out were the same messed up lines she had given up on. She huffed with disappointment at the fact that Gourry had found something she couldn't even see.

"What is it? You know the location of the sword?" She fought the overwhelming urge to deck him when he stayed silent. "Gourry, I'm warning you," she growled. "If you don't say a word, you're gonna regret ever laying your eyes on that thing."

"Promise you won't hit me?" 

"Fine! Whatever! Now what is it?!"

"Uh…" he began. "It's kind of like this…" He paused a moment to look at her, hesitating when he saw the stormy look on her face. He sighed. He might as well get it over with. "I'm hungry."

"What?!" She screeched in fury. "That's it?!" She glared at him, her hands planted firmly on her hips, fists clenched into tight balls.

"Lina, you promised!" He reminded her even though he knew his efforts were futile. He shrank back from her enraged form looming over him, his arms covering his head, which he had a hunch was going to be severely damaged.

"Gourry…" Her tone was soft, almost gentle in its breathed whisper. A temporary lapse in judgement caused him to unshield his head and look up imploringly at her.

"Huh-" He got that far before she swung her fist at him, not bothering to aim at such close range. She punch hit him squarely in the jaw, and had he been in any condition to speak, he would have sworn that he was flying. "You deserved that, you yoghurt-brained jellyfish!!!" She yelled after him, as he soared through the air, landing metres away. He would be fine, though. He had been through worse – they all had, in fact – and lived to tell the tale. But when a minute had passed and he gave no sign of consciousness, she began to grow worried. Perhaps she had been a little too rough to him, he had, after all, offered to help her and it wasn't his fault that he couldn't find anything. After all, if _she_, the great sorcery-genius Lina Inverse, couldn't make even the slightest bit of sense out of that jumble of chaos, how could she expect _Gourry_, of all people, to be of help? _That's not true, and you know it._ She chided herself mentally. Gourry may have always seemed air-headed about some things, but he wasn't _totally_ stupid.

"Gourry?" She called, unsure if she had hurt him worse than she usually did. "Gourry, are you alright?" When he still gave her no sign that he could hear her, she tread nearer. "Gourry?" She repeated.

She was close enough to see his face now. It was expressionless. He didn't look like he had suffered anything. She tentatively placed a finger under his nose. Was he breathing? She felt a faint whisper of breath brush the side of her finger. Feeling panicked, she grabbed him by his shoulders and shook as gently as her emotions allowed her to.

"Gourry? Gourry!" She placed her ear against his chest, hoping the thudding that pounded in her ears was his heartbeat, strong and steady, and not hers, racing with fear. She took a deep breath to calm herself down. He had been tossed high up in the air by Kopii Rezo and Filia, when she had caught him peeping under her skirt in a misguided search for her tail. Surely he hadn't died from a mere punch delivered by a mere mortal, even though she supposed she did not count as the average female.

Then the shallow breaths that had become all that she heard stopped altogether.

"Gourry!!!" She shrieked. She tilted his head back and parted his still lips open. Taking a deep breath, she pressed her trembling lips to his and blew into his motionless form. She had barely pulled away, when a pair of strong, muscular arms came up around her, and crushed her to him. "Gour-" It was all she could say, before his warm lips stole every, last bit of breath she possessed.

He rolled over as he kissed her, pinioning her beneath him and her hands above her head, safely away from his. With his free hand, he caressed her cheek, fingertips all but giving the briefest brush. He whispered her name as she melted into his unyielding embrace. Then his soft, hot kisses meandered from her lips, swollen and moist from his fervent attention to them. They trailed across her cheek, before dropping to her earlobe, his fingers all the time exploring the length of her body. He released his hold on her wrists to angle her head to one side, giving him better access to the slim, pale column of her throat. She made a small sound of encouragement, as he laved the skin with his tongue, feeling the frantic drumbeats of her pulse racing even faster.

Her hands, now free from his restraining hand, found the broad musculature of his arms. They travelled upwards, stroking the firm flesh as she brought them closer to his neck. She flung them around his neck and threaded her slim fingers through the silky mass of his golden mane.

"Gourry…" She breathed, her voice a ragged murmur against the approaching warmth as his mouth sought hers again. She wanted this so much, this slow dominance of his, while he demonstrated the power he held over her. With one stroke, one light caress, he tore down her defensive walls and besieged her senses with a volley of sinful sensations.

"Paybacks are hell, Lina. So you shouldn't have hit me, especially not after you promised not to." He purred, before the molten heat of his mouth caught hers, and all rational thought flew out of her mind.

All she could comprehend were his lips, scorching wherever they touched, wet and sweet. They burned like brands against her kiss-swollen ones, and she parted them in a weak moan as he pressed her hips to his. She could feel him, even through the thick layers of fabric that their clothes offered as defences. His tongue, previously insistent at penetrating the lush wetness of her mouth, accepted her invitation, and slipped inside in a rush of sensation that left her gasping for air. He thrust and withdrew fiercely, in a poor imitation of what she _really_ wanted. She writhed beneath him, not wanting to let him continue his one-sided assault on her senses, but to no avail. He took advantage of the fact that he was both larger and stronger than her to pin her down on the grassy patch beside the road and rocks. Just when she thought she might die, he released her mouth and lifted his head from hers.

Supporting himself on his arms, he gazed down at her, his sapphire stare smoky, blue flames licking her body, her face, as he fixed his eyes on her form. They mirrored her own, which were hazed with passion and the searing heat of desire.

"You idiot," She whispered. "You scared me half to death… I almost thought I'd gone and killed you…" A tremulous hand reached up, as if to make sure he was real and not still lying, unconscious, on the ground. He took her shaky hand in his unwavering grip, and tenderly brushed his lips against her knuckles.

"I've survived worse. Say, Gaav, Phibrizzo…" He trailed off, and then continued. "…You when it's 'that time of the month'… Give me some credit, Lina… I don't think I'd die from a punch from a wife I made angry."

Slowly, almost hesitantly, he eased his weight off her and got to his feet, before reaching down and pulling her up to hers. She wobbled uncertainly for a moment, and he held her straight, until she had gathered her bearings.

"Alright?" He asked, concerned. Maybe this hadn't been a good idea.

"All that blood rushing from my head." She explained.

"Then why is your face still so red?" He teased, before jumping back from her reach. He grinned at her and ran back for the rocks they had been sitting on previously. She growled menacingly at him and chased him, all the time screaming, "I'm gonna get you, Gourry Gabriev! Even if it's the last thing I do, I'll kill you!"

The sky was already beginning to turn a bruised shade of bluish-purple, before they finally settled down. The sky hung low over the endless horizon, threatening to dip beneath the solid line. It sinking sun coloured the sky red and purple, with golden highlights on the edges of low-lying clouds. The dying sun cast elongated shadows across the plains, and the skeletal silhouette of a tree not yet touched by the gentle Spring, fell over the sparse patch of land beside the tiny campsite. Noisy birds twittered, filling the air with a cacophony of clamour, as they returned to their nesting perches upon the branches of trees both dying and blooming with emerald green leaves and fresh buds. 

Lina had not fully forgiven Gourry for that prank he had pulled in the cornfield earlier that day. It has been cruel, she thought, and especially to a pregnant woman. She scowled, as Gourry entered her line of vision to toss a fresh branch onto the rapidly growing flames. They had decided to set camp when a frozen zephyr had breezed by from the north. Fearing it could get colder; Gourry had started a small fire. Its rich, golden-red flames flickered and grew into taller and taller tongues, lapping at the frigid twilight air.

He hummed absently, as he warmed his hands by the fire. It cast a warm glow upon his face, almost making him blaze like one of Heaven's beautiful archangels. She hated the way he made hating him so hard. In the close to ten years – seven, eight, maybe even nine! She had stopped keeping count years ago – she had known him, travelled around the land with him, she had never been able to effectively hate him for more than several hours. Even when his foolish, childish stunts had bordered on unintentional vindictiveness, she had found herself softening to him the moment he sat by her side, an arm around her shoulders to keep her warm and a silent apology for making her mad again. She was unable to stop a small smile from gracing her features as she studied the golden form of her husband, shirtless before the fire.

Senseless male, she groaned silently. He didn't even have the common sense to put on a shirt, and with the temperature so low at night… It was a stupid show of masculinity – to prove that he could brave the elements half-naked –, which she found herself enjoying more than she cared to admit. She pretended to be studying the accursed map that had started all the fighting in the first place, even as she perused his flame-lit body, hard with compact muscle from years of swordplay. Both in and out of bed, she smirked, an almost vampish grin lighting up her face for a brief moment, until she remembered that she was supposed to be furious at him.

"Hey, Lina." Gourry called. "It's cold there. Come sit with me." He patted the ground beside him invitingly. She ignored him, turning her face away from him.

"Lina…" He whined, turning his basset hound-glance to her. She tried her best to keep her face indifferent, even as she shook inwardly with compressed laughter.

"I'm not cold." She sniffed. "And I don't need the fire."

He got up from his position in front of the cosy fire, padding to her side. He squatted down in front of her and with a gentle finger, realigned her gaze to fall within his. She simply shut her eyes and stuck her chin up in the air haughtily. Without saying a word, Gourry tangled his hand into the curls at the nape of her neck and brought her forehead forward to touch his.

"Still mad at me, Lina?" He asked, his breath caressing her lips in the barest of brushes. When he evoked no reaction from her, he pressed his lips against hers in the tiniest fraction of a kiss, before pulling away, leaving the cool night air to fill the gap between them, where his hard warmth had just been.

Her eyes still closed tightly, she let loose an involuntary whimper of protest, and Gourry smirked silently. It was only when he did not comply with her plea, that she opened her eyes. And found him, his face mere inches from her, staring back at her. She shrieked in surprise, jerking away from him in an uncontrolled reflex, and would have hit the ground, had a strong arm not caught her and yanked her into his heated embrace. The smug grin on his face turned feral when he had her splayed flat upon the ground, just where he wanted her.

Her eyes wide with anger that she had fallen into his seductive trap twice in a single day, she glared at him. Lina struggled to maintain some measure of control over the entire situation, but failed miserably, when he used his weight to pin her firmly to the hard ground. After several moments of useless writing, she lay still, having nowhere to go; she was sandwiched between the rigid dirt and his unyielding body.

"Wriggle a bit more, Lina, it feels so good." He taunted, a self-satisfied smirk on his face. He was enjoying this so much.

"Say another word and we'll see if you get any tonight." She threatened, her tone tough and steely.

He stationed his lips beside the curve of her ear and purred; "I really don't think you have any say in this, Lina." Her name came out as more of a rumbled growl that she felt through his chest, rather than actual words spoken.

"You wouldn't dare…" She seethed, her teeth and fists clenched.

"Oh, I wouldn't be too sure of yourself right now, Lina. I might just surprise you…again." His soft voice, almost inaudible, rang mockingly in her ear.

"I'm warning you, Gourry… Don't make me get violent on you again."

"I'm looking forward to it, Lina. You know how…energetic you get when you're mad…" He teased, one hand restraining her hands above her head, the other running down the length of her body, sending chill after glorious chill rippling up and down her tingling spine. She gasped, as she felt that all-too-familiar melting sensation at the crux of her legs.

"You're playing with fire, Gourry…" She mumbled half-heartedly.

"And don't I love it." That was all the warning he permitted, before his mouth, hungry for hers, descended upon hers, claiming it with ruthless savagery. She moaned, a sound that was swallowed up almost immediately by his searching lips.

"I told you I didn't need the fire…" She murmured, her voice an almost unintelligible slur.

"And I'm going to make sure you don't get cold either." His tongue battled hers for dominance, his eventually emerging the victor, after Lina grew too limp to fight his invasion.

"Not out here, Gourry…" She whispered, as if afraid of getting caught.

"There's no one to see us." He rasped. "Not a single, except maybe the birds."

"Wait until we have a bed beneath us and I'll make it worth it." She tempted, whispering the words as she exhaled a shuddering breath. He stopped abruptly.

"Promise?" He relaxed his grip on her wrists, allowing her to wriggle them out of his weak hold.

"If I forget, you can remind me." She told him, brushing his cheek with the back of one hand. "In any way that you like." She added, an impish smile flitting across her face.

He grinned, gave her one last searing kiss, before lifting his weight off her slim frame and letting her squirm from underneath his body. "I'll enjoy reminding you." He assured her. "Now, in front of the fire, or I'll keep you warm _without _the fire, and without that bed." He led her to the crackling flames, before disappearing to rummage through his packs for some food.

He returned, several sweet potatoes in his hands. He searched the bare ground for a long twig, a stick long enough and thick enough to spear one of the tubers to roast. He found two slim enough, and stabbed each one into a sweet potato. He handed one impaled root to her, and began roasting his over the scorching tongues of flame. When it had suffered sufficiently, they removed the blistering potato from the fire and, while blowing continuously on their fingers and the sweet potato, proceeded to peel the charred skin off.

They finished their meal and after Gourry had added another log to the dying fire, they lay near its renewed brilliance, waiting for sleep to claim their weary bodies. Gourry lay on his side, facing the campfire, and Lina snuggled closer to him and curled into the safe cocoon of his arms, her cheek pressed to his chest. She allowed the steady thumping of his heart to lull her into a dreamless oblivion, while he studied her face, vulnerable in sleep, the firelight playing over her tranquil countenance. He listened to the sporadic crackling, soon falling asleep to its erratic rhythm. The radiance of the fire chased away any nightmares that thought to lurk in the deep shadows that enveloped the land in darkness, while its heat kept them ignorant of the steadily falling temperature, as night grew deeper.


	4. chapter three

            Similarly, it was nighttime in the busy city of Seyruune. The white magic capital was fast asleep, save for the palace guards. The magical wards that enclosed the city prevented practically all but the highest ranking of mazoku from entering. To date, the most powerful mazoku that had managed to breach the strong white magic, excluding the violet-haired priest Xelloss Metallium, were the two minions of Gaav's. Kanzel and Mazenda were now only vague memories in the minds of the townsfolk, most of them having found more recent and more interesting incidents to gossip about. And ever since that incident, the King had stationed more guards around the palace. Still, it didn't make sleep any easier for the current crown princess. As always, sleep eluded her, and when she finally _did_ manage to fall asleep, she kept dreaming of nothing but horrifying nightmares that she found she forgot the moment she awoke. It was enough to give a normally perky girl dark rings under her eyes and a constant migraine.

            Sighing, Amelia crept out of bed and sat by her window, staring at the cloudy sky, in hopes that the sliver of moonlight from the fast disappearing moon would help make her sleepy. Immediately, her thoughts went to her nightmares. She couldn't help but wonder if the dreams were part of a spell that had been cast upon her. There hadn't been any signs of any mazoku uprisings, and the demon factions that usually caused trouble in the surrounding areas had been rather peaceful. Now that she thought about it, mazoku activity, to her knowledge, had all but ceased these past few weeks. Even the bandit raids were at an all time low. Seyruune wasn't usually a city with a high crime-rate, but like all major cities, they had their fair share of crime. For weeks to pass by without so much as an attempt by weak mazoku to take over the capital was unusual. But for the same amount of time to pass without so much as a single bandit attack on the merchant carts passing through, was highly suspicious.

            Amelia grinned wryly. She supposed it was part of her being next in line to the throne that made her constantly worry. All of a sudden, she found herself missing the carefree days of travelling with Lina and Gourry and that stoically detached chimera Zelgadiss. She missed all the adventures they had had. She missed all the new friends they had made (though she certainly didn't miss all the enemies they had acquired). The last adventure she had been on had ended with them saving the entire world, as she had come to see as a norm. They had defeated a Dark Lord from another universe parallel to theirs. In doing so, they had acquired a friendship with a gold dragon, a one-eyed fox, and a green troll. The latter two had been strongly loyal to the late mazoku Dark Lord Gaav, and then, to the more recently deceased and reborn ancient dragon Valgaav, or Valtierra, as he was now called. He had hatched from his egg recently, and Filia had sent her a letter gushing with motherly joy. Jiras and Garbos were currently under Filia's employ, and though the gold dragon had described them to be 'miserably clumsy, destructive oafs' on occasion, it was clear that she enjoyed have them around for company and assistance.

            The clouds had completely covered up the moon now, and the room was entirely dark. She lit a candle with the help of a simple spell, then returned to her seat by the window. Still, although she missed the rough-and-tumble aspects of her life, the relative peacefulness of Seyruune at night was particularly calming. The stillness of it all, the utter silence allowed her to delve into the reservoir of thoughts she never before had time to entertain. It was relaxing.

            It was almost an hour later, before she felt her eyelids beginning to droop. Amelia made her way to her plush bed and sank down into the soft feather mattress. She yanked the warm quilted comforter over her shoulders and had barely crossed the fringes of sleep when a sudden cry jolted her to alertness. Deciding it was probably one of the nocturnal birds native to Seyruune, she returned to her semi-conscious state, and within seconds. She was fast asleep. So rapidly had sleep overtaken her that she wasn't aware of the midnight black crow that landed on her windowsill. And there it perched, jet-black eyes glittering like wet glass beads, and watched as the young princess lay asleep in sleep's tender arms. It continued to watch, not budging even when she flailed her arms wildly in her sleep, in the throes of a terrifying nightmare. And as dawn's first rays began to beat at the velvet darkness of night, Amelia's nightmare began to ease, and the black crow fluttered its wings, and then took flight to parts unknown.

~ * * * ~

            Gourry sat up in bed suddenly, sweat trickling from his wet brow into his eyes. Ignoring the sting of the sweat, and the dampness of the clothes stuck to his back, he stared blankly at the space in front of him, his blue eyes wild and scared. Slowly, it came back to him that they were staying in the spare room of a reclusive elderly couple who lived in the remote area they had been in. The nightmares that had been plaguing him lately had returned once more. Not even the vile potion Lina had brewed up to ease his sleep helped. It had tasted absolutely foul, and he shuddered briefly as the pungent tang of it flooded his mouth for a split second. Still, he had drunk it. It had been mainly to for his own safety, for she would have fireballed him all the way to Atlas City had he refused. Another reason had been because his grandmother had once said how the world's best cures tasted like absolute hell. They usually worked, and so Gourry had been willing to give Lina's horrendous concoction a shot. 

            Like hell it had worked.

            If his nightmares continued, soon, he'd probably be willing to indulge in one of those ancient things called dreamcatchers. They had been used by ancient tribes long ago who had populated the towering peaks near Old Sairaag and the low hills that had once cut through Gehn. Gourry had no idea if they actually worked, but at this rate, he would end up too insane from lack of sleep to care. The dreamcatchers were stiff cloth rings with thin braided string weaved into a web across its face. Amulets hung from one end, and the other was attached to the wall, just above the bed. It was supposed to trap nightmares in its tangled web, but let soothing dreams pass through, and into the dreamer's sleeping mind. They could still be found in the town of Gehn, in stalls specializing in ancient novelties. And that is what they were now used as and most probably were; novelties and wall ornaments.

            "Gourry?" Lina patted the part of the bed beside her, absently searching for his warmth. Groggily, she turned her head and peered at him through bleary eyes. "Gourry? What is it?" She asked, concerned by the sheen of sweat that covered his face.

            "Nothing," he replied. "Go back to sleep. I'm fine." He grasped her small hand in his sweat-slicked one.

            "Don't you '_nothing_' me, Gourry. Now tell me. Another nightmare?" She asked, hazarding a guess.

            "Brilliant guess. Just like the others."

            "Tell me about them."

            Gourry sighed wearily. "Each time, it's the same. I'm trapped in a fiery battle, a battle against you, but I can't seem to do anything to help. In fact, every time I try to move forward, to try and reach you, another blow, and each one is harder and harder. The first few times I had that nightmare, I remember how I kept trying to reach you, to save you. But in the end, you kept getting hit over and over again, and when I finally managed to get to you, you were covered in blood. You were bleeding to death…" His voice was a mere whisper, his breath ragged. "You were dying, and the baby…the baby was gone. You were crying, and then, you stopped, breathing. But the tears never stopped, and they kept flowing. And after I watched you die twice, I stopped trying to reach you. I just watched, and watched, as the flames rose higher until eventually I can't see you and I wake up, like just now."

            "L-sama…" she breathed. "God, Gourry…" At a loss for words, she enveloped him in a warm hug, wanting to chase away the horrors of his nightmare and reassure him that she was whole and healthy and right beside him.

            "I never want to lose you, Lina. Never that way…never at all. Please promise me that you'll take care of yourself and the baby. Don't go charging into a fight just because you think you can stop it. You probably can, but I'd rather… Please?" He pleaded.

            Seeing how shaken he was by his recurring nightmare, she nodded. "Alright then. If it makes you feel better, then I promise I won't go starting any brawls or joining any. Now go back to sleep, Gourry. Hold me and go back to sleep and let's see if I can't scare away those shadows that have been spooking you." She grinned and sank back into the soft bed. Smiling slightly, Gourry curled up beside her, holding her close, eventually falling asleep with her scent still lingering in his last conscious breath.

~ * * * ~

            In a dimly lit chamber sat a large bed. There was nothing else in the room besides the bed. Dark-coloured drapes curtained any windows. The chamber was hewn out of stone, but soft rugs covered most of the stone floor, hiding the rough and uneven contours. There would be no loose pebbles on the floor to scrape at tender skin in case someone fell. Aside from the Spartan furnishing, was a young boy. Small, almost delicate-looking, he sat at the edge of the bed, gazing in satisfaction at the occupant of the bed. Jet-black locks fell over his eyes, partially obstructing his view, but he made no movement to brush them away. Incandescent green eyes blazed with power as he smiled at his creation. She had originally been one of his mother's creations, but he had changed that, had made her his. He hadn't received any warning that it had been a grave mistake on his part to take her, so he assumed that L-sama hadn't minded that small change in ownership. She was his.

            He toyed with a lock of long silver hair, careful so as not to wake up the slumbering girl. Such perfection. What he had said to her had been true. He _had_ been watching her ever since her entry into the world. He'd had plans for her since then. But when he had 'died', in a sense, he'd had to wait in limbo for what seemed like all eternity, all the while watching, waiting. Then he had been allowed a brief moment freedom from the endless confines of the chaos that had trapped him. Sidetracking one of Zelas' wolves had been absolutely no problem. There was no mazoku alive that would dare defy him and his orders. He'd had to kill it afterwards to prevent any leakage of information to Zelas. But it was only a minion. His little sister had many more where that came from, and could make even more to suit her whims. She wouldn't have minded _if_ she had known about it. _If_.

            His servant stirred, but did not awaken. She continued sleeping, her breaths coming in slow, even caresses against his hand as he brushed a wayward lock of her hair from her face. If he ever had any form of love or affection for anything, anyone, it was for his servants, both living and dead. They were loyal to him and only him. They had been before, and had died in his name, and they always would be. He was careful when it came to picking them. Rarely had they failed him. A smile spread across his youthful face, more feline than was human. It was a smile that gave him the look of a predator, which was precisely what he was. A dangerous hunter.

            Then, satisfied that his servant was sleeping peacefully, he left the chamber. Even with the lighting at bare minimum, he knew his way. It could be pitch dark and he would know exactly where to step. He didn't _have_ to walk, but it gave him time to think, to ponder his plan, to look for any loopholes that might have escaped his previous scrutiny. He made his way to a glowing pool within the confines of his chamber. Amber light spilled out, slicing through the darkness like a sword through mere human flesh.

            He peered in, revelling in the soft warmth of the brilliant glow. Vague shapes swirled in the golden pool, fickle apparitions that appeared and vanished as they pleased. He held a small hand over the surface of the pool and watched, pleased, as the wraith-like wisps swam, crowded beneath the faint shadow produced. He reached in with his index finger, slicing through the shimmering light, and swirled it around the pool. Then he plunged his entire hand in and when he removed it from the light, a small amber orb, barely glowing, sat neatly in his careful grasp.

            "Beautiful…" he whispered.

~ * * * ~

            Gourry woke up the next morning feeling a lot more rested than he had for days. The nightmare hadn't returned throughout the rest of the night and for that, he was immensely grateful. He stretched luxuriously, taking joy in the simple act of gearing up his muscles for the long day ahead. Beside him, Lina still slept soundly, one hand pressed unconsciously to her gently rounded belly. He smiled the proud smile of a man had knowledge that he would, in the near future, be a father. Tenderly, almost reverently, he caressed her swollen abdomen, wanting to do the same to the child sleeping within.

            "Good morning, little one…" he murmured, love blazing in his sapphire eyes.

            "Who? Me or someone else?" Asked a groggy voice.

            "What about both?"

            "That'll do. Anymore nightmares?" Lina asked, concerned.

            "None. You're good for me." Gourry smiled brilliantly. "And definitely more palatable than that horrible-tasting cure of yours. No offence, but it _was_ really foul."

            "Of course it was. All effective cures taste like crap."

            "How long until we reach some form of civilization?"

            "Not much longer. There's a small village about three hours from here, and then, after that, we can pass through Seyruune." Lina grinned. "And you know what that means."

            Gourry reciprocated the smile. "Royal food!"

            "Yup. I'm sure Amelia will be overjoyed to see us again. She'll at least invite us to lunch, or dinner. Hopefully both."

            "Yeah. And now you actually have an excuse to eat the amount you do." Gourry chuckled and ducked a sloppily swung pillow.

            "Like _you_ eat any less!"

            He grinned smugly. "I'm a man." That comment earned him another swing from Lina's pillow. He laughed again.

            After a hearty breakfast, they thanked the elderly couple for their hospitality and bade them farewell. Then, they continued on their journey and made it to the bustling village in time for lunch. The town square was packed with people, both customers and merchants. There were stalls selling fascinating, but ultimately useless curios and novelties. Those were solely for the sake of the occasional group of tourists and passers-by. The bulk of the stalls sold foodstuffs and textiles. The village's staple crop seemed to be honey oat. It was a delicious and highly sought after grain. It was probably their main source of income and the only reason such a remote village could flourish so well. The textile merchants spread out their brightly coloured wares out on rugs or over cloth-covered tabletops. There were silks and taffeta, fine cotton and linen, thick wool and sheer cloths with interweaved gold threads. Other stalls sold ready-made dresses and tunics and leggings. They were fairly well made and most likely brought in the remainder of the village's income. The remaining few stalls scattered throughout the marketplace were stalls selling what Gourry had termed 'sorcerer stuff'.

            Lina and Gourry located the local tavern and booked a room for the night, following which, they immediately proceeded to the nearest source of food. Which, of course, happened to be in the tavern itself. They found an empty table and after a trying ten minutes, finally managed to flag down someone to take their orders. They rattled off what they wanted, leaving the poor waitress to jot down their orders at a ridiculously frantic pace. When they had ordered at least half the menu, in double portions, they graciously left her to stumble in exhaustion to the kitchen, where a familiar string of curses rang out. Of course, they didn't hear it, having gotten used to it and having tuned it out long ago.

            When their food came, they polished off in record speed, clocking in a new personal best. Lina, of course, finished her food first and resorted to stealing Gourry's. The usual argument began, but differed from the norm by Lina's protests that since she was pregnant and it was partially his fault – which he responded to with a retort that she hadn't complained then – she was fully justified to pick at his food when she wished.

            Obviously, Lina won.

            They spent the remainder of the afternoon browsing through the stalls and bargaining the time away. Lina ended up with an armful of new clothes that would fit her once she got the baby out – a process she was in no particular hurry to experience for herself – and several magical artefacts and amulets. Gourry obtained for himself a new set of tunic and leggings and Lina's pile of shopping. Still, being the obedient, dutiful husband that he was, he carried their purchases without so much a muttered complaint. Soon, afternoon blended into evening, and the sky began to darken. They returned to their room at the tavern and Gourry finally had the chance to set down their newly purchased things. After a soothing leg rub from Gourry, Lina rewarded his commendable patience and good nature with an equally relaxing back massage. After all, with all the hell she regularly put him through, it was only fair for her to contribute to their relationship, instead of constantly being on the receiving end.

            Evening quickly translated to night and they had their dinner, following their routine of totally exhausting whoever it was that had the misfortune of taking down their orders and scarfing down their dinner at mach speed. Blissfully worn out by their shopping (for any activity involving a certain flame-haired sorceress would most undoubtedly be gruelling), they went to bed immediately, ignoring the age-old warning that sleeping on a full stomach would cause one to incur very vivid dreams. They floated into the ancient realm of dreams almost instantaneously, both hoping for a peaceful night. In the haze of approaching slumber, they heard the calls of birds, heralding the coming of darkness.

~ * * * ~

            The new morning greeted Amelia with a letter. It had no return address, and there was no sender name – just her name and the address of the palace, though there was probably only one Amelia wil tesla Seyruune in the whole of the continent. She slit it open and eagerly removed the pages of slightly crumpled paper, having recognised the handwriting as that belonging to a very special chimera.

            _Amelia, _(he still hadn't managed to bring himself to use the word 'dear')

                        _As always, I'm travelling in search of a cure to my condition. I haven't gotten any new leads yet, so I'm currently just wandering around. I haven't found a place to settle down for a lengthy period of time, so as usual, there isn't a return address, much as I'd like to receive a letter from you. Have you heard from Lina and Gourry? Last I heard, our over-violent friend got herself hitched to the jellyfish, and that was a long time ago. I sent Lina regrets upon not being able to attend her wedding. Was she pissed off at me?_

_How have you been these past few months? Well, I hope. I wonder if you've noticed, but there has been an unprecedented low of mazoku activity. If so, I wonder if you find that suspicious, because I do. Not only has Xelloss failed to pop up unannounced as he usually does in hopes of scoring a free meal, the mazoku that I normally encounter in the course of my travels have more or less vanished. Crime seems to have hit an all-time slump these days. Not that I think that's bad, but not only would Lina be out of a business with less bandits to steal from, you have to admit, it _is_ highly unusual._

_            Have there been similar incidents, or should I say lack of any, in Seyruune? If there are, then things might be as I suspect. I believe that there may be another plot to destroy or take over the world, or something as ridiculously dramatic as that. Drama seems to have become a very immense part of my life ever since I came across Lina. I don't know whether to curse the gods or to sigh with amusement regarding that.In any case,  do be alert. After all, you never know when L-sama will try and screw with our lives again._

_If I haven't found any leads worth checking out by next month, I might try to stop by Seyruune for a brief visit. I might stay for a few days, or perhaps up to two weeks or so. You'll let me use your library, I hope, as you always have. I still haven't finished pouring through the resources there. I'm glad you have such an extensive library. I'm probably being over cautious, what with all the attempts at world domination we have foiled, but do take extra precautions, just in case. If you come across Lina and Gourry, tell inform them of my suspicions. And give them my regards._

                        Zelgadiss Greywers 

            She smiled at the note of concern she found in his letter and folded it back up, then tucked it back into its envelope. She opened a small drawer hidden in her dresser and placed it on top of a small, but steadily growing pile. Zelgadiss' letters used to be more frequent, but awfully short. They arrived at longer intervals now, but held longer messages from him. He had more to say to her now than he had a few years ago. She was delighted that he had finally begun to grow a little more comfortable with her. Perhaps she had managed to chip away at his stony exterior to reveal a bit more of the sensitive man he so rarely showed. She giggled at her small pun and shut the drawer.

            Sighing, Amelia reviewed her schedule for the day. It was full of meetings and conferences and letters to be composed to various kingdoms. Being Seyruune's royal diplomat was a tiring job. She wondered how the previous diplomats could stand the job, and she couldn't help but wonder how in the world they had managed to last for as long as they had. She got dressed for the day and left for breakfast, hoping for a less hectic day to come soon.

            Her first meeting was with the council's elder members. They were concerned at her unmarried status. She was to come of marriageable age soon but she didn't have a single suitor, or rather she refused to give any the time of the day. They didn't want to force marriage onto her, nor make her choose some pompous lack-wit desiring an alliance through marriage or a gold-digging opportunist. They did, however, want to make sure she did not entertain the thought of becoming a spinster queen of Seyruune. She had sighed wearily and done her best to reassure them that she did want to get married one day, and to a man who had the intelligence to help in the running of her kingdom. It had been a long, tiring discussion, and on more than just one occasion, she certainly had entertained the thought of simply running out of the conference hall screaming in utter frustration. Eventually, however, she had managed to get them to leave her be for the time being, they being stubborn old men and women.

            There was only one man she was considering for the position of future king of Seyruune, and she hoped that he would come for a visit soon. He had never taken her subtle advances seriously, but that had been ages ago. And considering just exactly who is was that she had been so relentlessly pursuing, subtle hadn't been the wisest way to catch him. Hell! The hardheaded man (bad pun intended) practically needed to get hit on the head by a rock before he would willingly glance at her. She hoped that she would be able to crack the walls he had erected around him, and finally get to know him. Amelia flushed with a mix of joy and embarrassment. Out of purely selfish reasons, she hoped Zelgadiss wouldn't be able to find a lead for his cure any time soon. Amelia smiled, the smile spreading across her face slowly. Then, she began planning her strategy to catch her dense chimera.


	5. chapter four

Wolfpack Island was silent. For the briefest of moments, even the multitude of wolves that populated the isle ceased their howling. The crickets stopped playing their lullaby, the tiny mammals that, more often than not, became dinner for hungry carnivores stopped their rustling of the leaves and snapping of twigs as they ran in an attempt to survive the night. For just that short, fleeting period in time, all was still, and the silence so thick, it was almost tangible. Then, that moment passed, and all activity resumed.  
  
Inside the stone fortress of the isle, two people were deep in discussion. In all honesty, the term people might not exactly be accurate. They were not just mere people. They were far beyond that. And the word 'human' would simply have been wrong. No, they were certainly not humans. That was the lowest insult one could pay them, after 'dragon' of course. What they were simply, was one female, planning with her male servant. It was simply another meeting for the Greater Beast with her subordinate.  
  
"Xelloss, what do you make of this sudden decrease in underling activity?" The Beastmaster asked her violet-haired General.  
  
"Especially in what used to be the Hellmaster's region?"  
  
"Yes. I know what you must be thinking. Has my dear brother returned from the dead?"  
  
"Is that possible, Juuou-sama?" He replied.  
  
"If L-sama has had a change in heart, I don't see why not. However, I would like to think that she would have told one of us. Have you contacted Dynast yet?"  
  
"On whether he or Deep Sea Dolphin has been told of the Hellmaster's possible revival? Yes."  
  
"So? Is Phibrizzo alive or not?" Zelas demanded, growing impatient.  
  
"Not to their knowledge, although I'm sure the Hellmaster could walk right up to Dolphin and shake her and she still wouldn't know."  
  
"Are you implying that she's lying, or that she's too far gone to know the difference?"  
  
"The latter, my lady."  
  
"If that insane fish is capable of lying, I haven't seen any evidence of it before."  
  
"There was that little incident several centuries ago, though." Xelloss reminded her.  
  
"It was her Priestess who started it. Her underlings have gained a significant amount of power ever since her.illness." Zelas said, her tone considering.  
  
"Is it something to be worried about?" Xelloss asked, concerned.  
  
"We will deal with that after we solve this mystery. Trust my brother to give me such a headache, even after his death."  
  
"Do you suppose he had a remaining servant? One who had minimal or no part in the war, or one who simply managed to survive? Perhaps he only wanted us to believe that all his subordinates had perished."  
  
"No, he borrowed your service, didn't he? Phibrizzo would never trust any of his plans to a mazoku other than those strictly loyal to him. And since I can safely say that your loyalty is not to him."  
  
"Yes, Mistress." He thought about it for a moment, and then spoke aloud. "But what if using me was part of his plan? The Hellmaster loves his plans to twist and turn so much, half the time I don't know exactly where it is that I stand."  
  
"True, he does do that. However, planning his own death seems quite illogical, doesn't it? What could he possibly have thought to gain out of it?"  
  
"I don't know, Mistress, but if there is a gain, I'm sure the Hellmaster would have thought of it."  
  
"All this is getting us nowhere." Zelas complained. "Xelloss, I want you to resume your previous duties. The Hellmaster may be gone, but I want you to observe his previous targets, and tell me if they have any suspicious contact with mazoku. And by mazoku I mean those of reasonable ranking."  
  
Xelloss bowed, his jewel-toned eyes shutting as he did. "Yes, Juuou- sama." With that short sentence, he shimmered, and then vanished altogether. All that remained of his presence was a barely-there scent of smoke and mystery. Zelas smiled faintly, certain that if there really was a conspiracy, her servant would ferret it out.  
  
~ *** ~  
  
It was daytime, the following morning, and Lina and Gourry had already covered half the distance to the village near Seyruune. They were in reasonably high spirits; too busy anticipating the royal feast that they would soon indulge in to worry about anything else. Even thoughts of deciphering that weird map (which Lina had decided was most probable fake) had been pushed out of their minds. It was a cloudless day, the sun was brightly shining, even the mazoku that usually plagued their steps were absent. It truly was a blessed day. Lina laughed as Gourry cracked a joke. Even her normally dense husband was exceptionally intelligent and witty. L- sama-she reasoned-must be in a rather good mood. The journey to Seyruune suddenly seemed a lot shorter, and even their quest to find Gourry a new sword seemed more enjoyable. It was amazing what excellent weather could do to one's spirit. It wasn't long before Lina and Gourry had reached the small town.  
  
Being the village nearest to a capital as big as Seyruune had its perks. Security was good, and businesses flourished. Tax prices didn't have to be high since economy was up, and so villagers were content. It was a safe, peaceful stopover for weary travellers on their way to the white magic capital. It was also a good place to find goods-textiles and spices and items in general-found only in the middle of the continent. Seyruune merchants were responsible for most of the village's income as the town was the nearest and cheapest way to get those inland items. Lina booked a room at the local inn, and then immediately proceeded to drag Gourry to the marketplace.  
  
She made her way to a stall selling curios, wondering if she ought to find something to give Amelia. It was bad enough to constantly show up unannounced, but it wouldn't be as bad if they brought something as a souvenir from their travels. Amelia seemed to be one who would enjoy presents, Lina guessed. She peered at the items on display. They were mainly trinkets and weird-looking clay and metal objects. There was nothing she could give the crown princess of Seyruune. Lina sighed. Exactly what could she give Amelia?  
  
"Looking for something for Amelia?" Gourry asked, noticing her dilemma.  
  
"Yup. What the hell do you give a girl rich enough to buy her own village?!"  
  
Gourry considered for a moment, then replied, a grin on his face. "Zelgadiss."  
  
Lina groaned. "Zelgadiss isn't here. So even if we could somehow tie a bow around him and coax him into a box, first we have to find him. And L- sama alone knows where he is now."  
  
Gourry continued grinning. "Not this time. We don't need the real Zel to get Amelia a present. Look." He pointed to a stall right at the end of the street. "I was getting us something to eat, and I stumbled across that stall. There's a lady there who'll make dolls of anyone or anything. All we have to do is give her a good enough description of Zel."  
  
Lina smiled, then beamed at Gourry, who was quite stunned to see such a blinding smile directed at him. "Gourry! You're a genius!" She hugged him, helping herself to the chunk of meat at the end of one bamboo skewer while she did. "We can get her dolls of ourselves too! She always says how she wishes we would visit more often. This way, she'll have miniature replicas of us! And Zel too!"  
  
Gourry's grin widened with her lavish praise. Then he looked down at the skewers in his hand. "Lina! You ate all the meat!"  
  
"You snooze, you lose." She retorted, her words mildly distorted by her chewing. "Now lets go! How long does she take, and how much is it for each doll?"  
  
"I'm not sure. But if she's making a business out of it, I'm sure she wouldn't take very long."  
  
"Don't be so sure. Remember that restaurant advertising dragon cuisine? It ended up taking them months to prepare the stupid dragon.and we didn't even get to eat it!!! After all we went through to catch the damn dragon!!!" Lina moaned.  
  
"We?" Gourry repeated, trusting his memory when it told him that only he and Zelgadiss had been used-no, tortured-to capture to blasted lake dragon.  
  
"Hey, I offered to Dragon Slave the stupid thing."  
  
"How utterly strenuous." Gourry replied, deadpan. "I'm sure glad I wasn't in your shoes."  
  
"Aww, Gourry, you aren't still mad that you were used as bait, are you?" Lina asked, slowing down in her sprint to get to the doll lady.  
  
"I had to act as a mermaid and I almost got eaten. What do you think?"  
  
"At least you didn't get used as anchor." She pointed out. "And personally, I think Zel would've liked it better if the CPR had been performed by Amelia."  
  
Gourry grinned, remembering how the chimera had reacted when he had been given mouth-to-mouth by the weird cowboy-cum-dragon cuisine chef. "True, true." He agreed. Then, they resumed their run to the stall selling doll miniatures.  
  
Sitting on a cushion over a straw mat, was a grey-haired old lady. She was surrounded by piles of fabric and spools of thread and several pincushions. Oblivious to the noise and activity all around her, she sewed quietly and rapidly, her needle piercing the fabric just as fast and accurately as any machine could. She was humming a nameless tune as she worked, and only noticed her new customers when she heard a loud bellow.  
  
"I'm sorry. What can I do for you?" She asked as she put down her current project and stood up.  
  
"We'd like to have three replicas made, as soon as humanly possible." Lina said.  
  
"Of course. Of the two of you?"  
  
"And another. In fact, two others," Lina replied, deciding to get Amelia her own doll as well.  
  
"Certainly. If you can describe them, I think I'll be able to do a decent job."  
  
"How much is it per doll?" Gourry asked, peering into his lightening pouch of money.  
  
"It's three gold for each." At Gourry's groan, she added, "The quality is superior to any you can find else where." When his face still looked disappointed, she relented and sighed. It was good-looking men like him that were her downfall. "All right then. Pay for three of them and I'll throw the fourth one in for free. But I'd like to have part of my fee first. A deposit."  
  
"Thanks. Gourry, pay her." Lina commanded.  
  
"And I was wondering why I have less money than you." He grumbled.  
  
"Just think about the feast Amelia will give us." Lina reminded, sticking her hand into his money pouch and ignoring his protests. "How much first?" She asked the old woman.  
  
"Six gold. I'll have your dolls ready by tomorrow."  
  
"Morning?"  
  
"Four in the afternoon at least."  
  
"Nooo!!!" She wailed. Leaving the village later meant that they'd receive their feast later.  
  
"You aren't my only customers, you know."  
  
"We have to reach Seyruune by tomorrow afternoon! We have to leave in the morning!"  
  
"Afternoon. Now if you can describe those two other people to me so that I can start on their dolls as soon as possible?"  
  
"The first one is a chimera. He's got bluish skin with little pebbles stuck in it and wiry lavender hair. And.hey, Lina, did Zel have blue eyes?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Yeah. And he always wears this tan-coloured cloak, tunic and pants combo."  
  
"And the other?" The woman asked, as she scribbled down the description."  
  
"The other is the crown princess of Seyruune." Lina replied. "Surely you know what she looks like."  
  
"Ah, yes, Princess Amelia. Sweet young thing, she is, and very pretty too. Are you friends of hers?"  
  
"How'd you know?" Gourry asked, amazed. He was promptly hit on the head by an exasperated Lina.  
  
"Why didn't you say so? I'm always glad to make dolls for friends of the princess."  
  
"So you'll be done by tomorrow morning?" Lina enquired hopefully.  
  
"Well, it'll be done by the late morning, at best."  
  
Deciding that it was a far better deal than four in the afternoon, Lina agreed. "I suppose that will have to do."  
  
"You're a harsh taskmaster, ma'am." The woman chuckled.  
  
"Don't I know that." Gourry grumbled under his breath, causing the woman to laugh.  
  
"Married to her, are you?" She asked, picking through her piles of fabric. She found some blue-green cloth and held it up for them to see. "Your chimera. Is he this colour?"  
  
"More or less, yes." Lina replied, retrieving the six gold coins she owed the woman.  
  
"Cobalt eyes about this colour? And his clothes in this shade?" She continued, holding up a spool of blue thread and more cloth, this time tan and cream.  
  
"You're good. Do you know him?"  
  
"He passed through here some time ago, maybe a year or two ago, can't remember anymore. He bought a doll from me too. One of the princess."  
  
Lina grinned widely and nudged Gourry. "We can tease him about that the next time we see him. Providing we ever see him again, of course."  
  
They paid the woman and left to find a place to stay for the night. There was only one inn in the entire village, but it was really quite large, and they found a room, after Lina haggled the price down to her satisfaction. Gourry couldn't help but wonder why she hadn't said something when the woman had asked for twelve gold for the dolls. After all, twelve gold coins was an awful lot of simply dolls. Perhaps she had been in a good mood and had decided to let the woman profit from her mood. She had been rather non-violent the whole day, he realised, and thanked L-sama for his good fortune. It was rare for a day to pass without her losing her temper, her meaning Lina, of course. Gourry shuddered, wondering what L-sama would do if she was in a bad mood.  
  
That night, his sleep was disturbed once more by a wretched nightmare. It wasn't like the previous nights', where he could only stand and watch as flames swallowed up Lina. It was no less terrifying, and in fact, it was worse. He was fighting a warrior concealed by a hooded black cloak, and it he was having a tough time. The person he was fighting was a damned good swordsman, and without his magic sword, he felt strangely weak. He scoffed. It was his ability with a sword that made him near invincible with the Sword of Light, not the other way round. With that thought, he battled harder than before, driving his opponent backward. He slashed at the cloaked figure again and again, and finally, stabbed his opponent through the stomach. He heard a gurgle as blood entered the windpipe. And as his opponent fell, saw a glint of crimson and flame. The fallen warrior hit the ground and the hood fell down, revealing shimmering waves of flame- coloured hair. Filled with dread, he brushed aside the hair with trembling hands to reveal his opponent's face. Empty crimson eyes stared back at him. And even as tears filled his eyes, he saw the narrow slits that were her pupils. Lina was a mazoku. His Lina.  
  
"Lina!!!" He screamed.  
  
~ *** ~  
  
Lina and Gourry trudged grumpily to Seyruune the following afternoon, after eating lunch in the village. Gourry had woken up before her and when she'd finally left dreamland, he had been surly and downright rude to her. She didn't know why the hell he'd been so prickly in the morning, but never, ever had he been so rude to her. He'd treated her like she was excess baggage that he'd have to carry all the way to Seyruune. She'd been so hurt, she hadn't fireballed him, or cast any spell at him. It wasn't worth it. He wasn't worth it. And she kept telling herself that as they walked to Amelia's city.  
  
They hadn't spoken at all ever since their terse exchange of words over breakfast, and since they hadn't dallied in the village of as they walked, they reached Seyruune ahead of schedule. Inwardly, Gourry was cringing in one corner. When he'd woken up that morning, Lina had been so still in her sleep that for one brief moment, he had feared that he really had killed her. It had been totally uncalled for, his current treatment of Lina, but he couldn't think of another way to channel his anger and fear and hell knows what else he was feeling. He'd apologise to her later, after the feast Amelia would prepare for them.  
  
Lina was still scowling and Gourry was frowning even as Amelia made her way into the parlour. The joy at seeing her friends once more, dissipated, and she frowned slightly as she studied the twin looks of displeasure on their faces. Upon seeing her, they put on very fake smiles and Lina snatched a small woven bag from Gourry.  
  
"Amelia!" She said, trying to inject some happiness into her voice. It wasn't impossible, since she truly was happy to see Amelia, but being miserable didn't make it easy.  
  
"Lina-san! It's nice to see you and Gourry-san again!" She peered over Lina's shoulder. "I.I don't suppose Zelgadiss-san is with you?"  
  
"He is, actually, in a manner of speaking." She held out the bag. "It's for you."  
  
"You got me a present?" Amelia took the bag and looked inside. She saw the plush toys and squealed. "You brought me dolls!"  
  
The surprised pleasure in Amelia's voice managed to put a more genuine smile on Lina's face. "Yeah. There's one of me, and Zel, and you, and oh, jellyfish too."  
  
Ignoring Lina's insult and knowing he was the main cause of it, Gourry smiled at the starry-eyed princess. "Hope you like it."  
  
"Like it? I love them!!!" She hugged the bag to her chest and grinned. "Thanks so much! Oh, you must be hungry! Have you had lunch yet? That's a stupid question, isn't it? I'll have the chefs prepare something for you two right away!" She said speedily.  
  
"That would be nice, yes." Lina agreed. The pleasure of it wasn't as heady as she had imagined it to be, however, and she blamed it on Gourry.  
  
"Sylvester!" She called out, and immediately, a tall man appeared, seemingly out of nowhere.  
  
"Yes, your Highness?"  
  
"Tell the chefs to prepare a nice banquet for my friends. The sooner the better, or else they might start eating the drapes."  
  
"Amelia, I need to see the armourer. You'll tell me when the food's ready, won't you?" Gourry said, already walking towards the exit.  
  
"Of course. I wanted to show Lina-san something anyway." She waited until Gourry was well out f hearing range before barraging Lina with questions. "What's wrong?"  
  
Lina shrugged. "Nothing."  
  
Looking hurt, Amelia sighed. "You can tell me."  
  
"It's nothing, really."  
  
Deciding to leave it for later, Amelia changed the topic. "And the baby?"  
  
"Still hitch-hiking. Annoying little brat."  
  
"Now, Lina-san, that's no way to speak of your child." Amelia admonished, smiling nonetheless.  
  
"No, really. It's really making my mornings hell. And it's wreaking havoc with my eating habits!"  
  
"Finally. Something that can affect your appetite. I'm sure I can find something for your morning sickness. The midwife here is very capable."  
  
"I'll have to give that a pass. I'm fine." At Amelia's sceptical raised brow, she insisted. "Really."  
  
"And Gourry-san?" Amelia continued. "How is he?"  
  
"That brainless jellyfish? Oh, he's perfectly fine, although I'm wondering why he's still alive." Lina snorted.  
  
"Now what happened? Did he eat up your share of breakfast?"  
  
"No. You'd see a dent in his head and several burns if he did."  
  
"Then what did he do?" Amelia pressed. "Ask stupid question after stupid question over and over again?"  
  
"Isn't he always like that?" She snorted again, and then sighed wearily. "I don't know, Amelia. I don't know what's going on with him. We were perfectly fine yesterday. We arrived in the nearby village and ordered your dolls, and everything was still fine when I fell asleep. I don't know what the hell put him in such a foul mood, since he woke up first. He's been rude to me since I woke up. He's been acting like a Zel with no manners."  
  
"Is he possessed?" Seeing the look on Lina's face, she waved her hands. "Sorry. I just wanted to cheer you up."  
  
"Nah, but I'm starting to wonder myself. He's been getting these really horrid nightmares the past few nights, and at first I thought he'd had another, but after all those dreams, he was only tired, not rude."  
  
"Dreams? Of what?"  
  
Lina began to tell her, and she clutched the Gourry doll from the collection she had given Amelia.  
  
~ *** ~  
  
Gourry was a maniac in the practice yards. He had defeated half the soldiers training and he still had too much energy left. The remaining half of the soldiers were watching with admiration as he defeated yet another one of Amelia's royal guards. Sighing, he walked over to an empty space and began simply attacking air. In his mind, though, he kept seeing those lifeless mazoku eyes staring back at him, and it was driving him insane. He slashed more ferociously at his imaginary opponent. And when he saw his nonexistent enemy fall, he stabbed his sword deep into the ground. Then he heard clapping. He spun round and caught a glimpse of a black cloak. His breath lodged in his throat, and his heart skipped a beat or two. He only resumed his breathing when he saw an annoyingly cheerful face and a head of violet hair.  
  
"What do you want?" Gourry snapped.  
  
"I'm hurt. Can't I just stop by to see how you all are faring?"  
  
"It's not your style. Whenever you pop up, there's always a reason. And something bad always happens."  
  
"Why, you're smarter than everyone gives you credit for. Well, I have no intent to kill any you, or get you killed, today."  
  
"Then what do you want?"  
  
"I really just wanted to stop and say hi, chat for a bit. Surely that's common behaviour." Xelloss smiled, ignoring his growl. "So how have you been? I hear you married L-sama's chosen since the last time I saw you."  
  
"Stay away from Lina!" Gourry snarled.  
  
"Oh, ever the bodyguard. Still playing the part of her protector, I see. I suppose it's a husband's duty to protect his wife." The mazoku priest replied offhandedly.  
  
"Leave us alone."  
  
"I think your feast is ready now. I'd like to check up on the princess too, so why don't I follow you?"  
  
"In hell, you will." Gourry replied curtly, but since there was nothing he could do to get the mazoku to leave, he simply stalked towards the dining hall, wiping sweat from his brow.  
  
Xelloss watched in amusement as the swordsman made his way angrily to the dining hall. He savoured the taste of the fear and rage and self- loathing flowing off Gourry for a moment before following behind Gourry. He scanned the surrounding area for any mazoku signals. There were none, none that he could detect, that is, but there were very few mazoku whose presence he couldn't detect. And very few meant just that.  
  
They reached the dining hall in silence, Xelloss feeding happily, in a manner of speaking, off Gourry the whole time. The moment Lina saw them, he felt the heady mixture of anger and hurt, curiosity and wariness that she exuded. It was delicious. She and Gourry put together was keeping him very satisfied. It was a pity the chimera wasn't with them. He'd have a feast, like they were having, if so.  
  
"Xelloss."  
  
"Lina-san, Amelia-san, how nice to see you again." Xelloss said pleasantly, steeling himself against the burst of joy he was sure he'd feel from the princess.  
  
"Xelloss-san, have you come for a visit?" Amelia asked, wondering if there would be a need to save the world from total destruction again.  
  
"Why, yes! I was just speaking to Gourry-san earlier. Congratulations, Lina-san, on your marriage." His eyes were their customary curves as he spoke. "I'm very happy for you, well, as happy as is healthy for me anyway."  
  
"Yes, isn't it wonderful, Xelloss-san?" Amelia chirped, not noticing the colour slowly leeching from Xelloss' face.  
  
"Uh, y-yes, it is." He managed, turning a faint shade of pale green from her overwhelming cheer. "So, Lina-san, does marriage agree with you?"  
  
"Oh, sure." She lied, wondering if Xelloss knew that she and Gourry weren't on speaking terms.  
  
"And will there be another Dramata following soon?" Xelloss asked, hoping the resultant annoyance would override Amelia's exuberance.  
  
"Actually, there is." She replied, knowing that Xelloss was baiting her.  
  
Surprised at the lack of reaction, opened an eye just a faint crack. "I suppose I should be very glad about that."  
  
"Why?" Lina asked, wary at his intentions.  
  
"Oh, nothing. It's just that with two Linas, the world would be so much more chaotic. Shouldn't that make me very happy?"  
  
He could almost see a giant drop of sweat hanging beside her head as she replied, "I suppose."  
  
"Lina, can I speak to you for a while?" Gourry asked softly.  
  
Amelia, guessing what it would be about, decided to make things easier by dragging Xelloss outside to see her gardens, all the while ignoring his polite protests.  
  
"What is it?" Lina asked succinctly.  
  
"I just wanted to apologise. For being such an idiot the whole day."  
  
"Idiot doesn't even begin to cover it."  
  
"Asshole?"  
  
"Coming a little closer."  
  
"Total bastard then. You didn't do anything wrong, but I've been terrible. I'm sorry."  
  
"Why?"  
  
"I woke up on the wrong side of the bed."  
  
"Literally?" She replied, an eyebrow raised. "What happened?"  
  
He hesitated.  
  
"You owe me an explanation for acting like Zelgadiss minus his manners."  
  
"Zel has manners? I'm kidding!" He said, hastily raising his hands up to ward off a would-be blow to his poor cranium.  
  
"Yes, it's nice to know that your humour is still intact, but you won't be if you don't spill it."  
  
"I had another dream. Another nightmare."  
  
"The same one?"  
  
"No." He sank into a chair. "I actually wish it was."  
  
"Tell me." She ordered gently.  
  
"I killed you. And you were a mazoku. Your eyes.they were." He trailed off and closed his eyes, and at once, the image of her ruby eyes, pupils slit like a cat's and lifeless. "I killed you, Lina."  
  
"I'm sure you didn't know it was me. Leave it, Gourry. I'm still very much alive and pissed at the way you treated me. Now, let's just enjoy the food and the fact that Amelia is probably torturing Xelloss with her bright, happy flowers."  
  
"Poor flowers."  
  
"Yeah. He'll probably make them wilt."  
  
"But Amelia will make him wilt." Gourry grinned slightly at the thought of a droopy Xelloss.  
  
"Almost guaranteed."  
  
"I wonder if she'll make him say 'life is wonderful' again."  
  
"Who cares? C'mon," she said, dragging him to the food-laden table. She seated herself beside him and their food fest began. Food definitely tasted better when eaten on a peaceful stomach.  
  
~ *** ~  
  
It was late into the day when Xelloss managed to escape from the over- joyful princess' grasp. It was time well spent, however, as he had managed to ask her about whether she had had any contact with or from mazoku. After their discussion, which had, to his horror, taken place in her dreadfully cheerful flower garden, he had made an excuse that he had other engagements which, if included reporting back to the Beastmaster, was not entirely false.  
  
"So?" Zelas asked, as her servant appeared before her.  
  
"Seyruune has been mazoku free for the past ten months or so. And Lina Inverse is expecting."  
  
"Really now?"  
  
"Yes. According to the Princess (he didn't have to say which one), she's just over three months now."  
  
"Now that's something worth thinking about." She murmured.  
  
"Do you have plans for the young Gabriev, then?"  
  
"Not at the moment." She drew a long breath from her cigarette and exhaled slowly, a small cloud of grey-white smoke rising to the ceiling of the cavernous chamber. She smiled at him slowly, canines glistening. "But let's see if I can't find one." 


	6. chapter five

Lina had told Amelia early about the strange map and despite her insistence that the old man was probably senile, Amelia had demanded to see the map. They had brainstormed the whole day of which places the map might have been referring to or if the shapes even meant the location of the sword. They had eventually, after hours of frustration, come up with…absolutely nothing. They were just talking now, having abandoned the map.

"Lina-san, I was wondering…is it alright if I join you and Gourry-san for a bit of travelling? I'm bored stiff here. It's the same thing every day. Meetings, conferences with ambassadors, speeches…I'm sick of all of it. I want to have another little adventure. And this way, I can help you look for a replacement sword for Gourry-san."

"Are you sure? Every time we end up on an adventure, it involves people and/or mazoku trying to kill us and us saving the world against all odds. I don't want to be responsible for the death of Seyruune's crown princess."

"I absolve you from all responsibility."

"Yeah. _You_ do. But will your father? Or Seyruune? Besides, you're my good friend, Amelia, and I don't like the idea of me getting you into danger."

"Gourry-san's going with you." She protested.

"Gourry's married to me. And it's _his_ sword that we're looking for. And besides, he's as much my responsibility as I am his."

"But if you two get into trouble, I can provide additional firepower. You've seen my Ra-Tilts."

"Yeah, but you might be used as bargaining power too. Do you know what it felt like when Phibrizzo was using all of you as bargaining chips? Each time one of you died, I felt like giving in, but I knew I couldn't. It was arguably one of the worst times in my life!"

"Even if we have to up against powerful mazoku, you can cast the Giga Slave, can't you?" Amelia reasoned, even though she knew how Lina would answer.

"I'll never cast that spell ever again."

"I figure if we can beat the Hellmaster, we can defeat any other enemy that wants to kill us."

"One, we had the Sword of Light then. We don't now. Two, it was L-sama who actually killed him, not me. Three, there was the three of us, Zel, Martina (although I don't remember that she was much help, actually), Zangulus, and Sylphiel."

"I'm sure we could find them again…or vice versa, as it's usually the case. Please, Lina-san? I'm going crazy here!"

"Go ask your father, Amelia. It's not place to decided whether or not you get yourself killed."

"I already asked father. He said that I could follow you and Gourry-san."

"What?!"

"So? Can I?"

"If we get into any form of danger, life-threatening or not, you're going home."

"Why won't you let me fight beside you anymore? I'm not some fragile little girl. I've grown up some already!"

"_Some_. Amelia, I never want to see any of you die."

"If I die, I die. Lina-san, just let me come along. It's my life. I've had enough of people telling me what to do. You used to like having me along. What's changed?"

"I don't know. Fine. You can come along, but if someone comes along and wants to kill me and it looks like I'm going to lose, get away."

Deciding to argue against that point only when the time came, Amelia agreed to Lina's terms. "Okay."

Several days had passed since Lina had allowed Amelia to follow her. They were still in Seyruune, however, waiting for Amelia to tie up loose ends, leave a message for Zelgadiss in the event that he stopped by and pack food and clothes to bring along. After all, travelling with Lina Inverse Gabriev meant for certain, singed clothes and low food storages.

Finally, after L-sama knew how long, they were all ready to go. Their first stop was Sairaag, to visit Sylphiel, see how the repairs were coming along, and to gather information along the way. The first length of their trip was relatively uneventful and they had no new leads about the mythical sword belonging to the late Hellmaster. They had long decided to ignore the map from the old man and rely on their tried and true method of searching for items. They finally found a lead in a village one-third into their route.

There was a little collection of several small huts on the out skirts of one of the tiny farming communities about a third the distance from Sairaag, and it was home to an elderly cartographer and his family. He was old enough to have great-grand children and it was said he could still remember every map he had ever drawn. Perhaps he could identify the unrecognisable mess on the ragged map that they had. It was worth a shot.

"Show me the map." The old man commanded in a raspy voice. He sat up in his bed, where he now spent most of his days. He picked up a pair of thick glasses from the table by his bed.

Lina produced the map from within the folds of her voluminous cloak. "Here," she said, and handed it to him. "Can you decipher it? Is it one of yours?"

He took it into his bony, wrinkled hands and studied it carefully. A curious light lit up his eyes and he smiled slowly. "My dear," he began. "This map is far older than I am. I'm surprised it hasn't fallen apart yet. It's a clever little thing. It _looks_ like a map, but I can't recognise what it's supposed to represent. Maybe it's coded."

"Coded?" Amelia asked. "How so?"

"Call my granddaughter, Mali, here, she might be able to tell you more. She loves things like this. An avid puzzle-solver, she is."

His granddaughter was a middle-aged woman with brown hair chopped in short, ragged bangs. She smiled at the crinkled yellowed parchment. "It's very interesting. It's not a map, granddad?"

"If it is, it's a map to a place I've never seen before, and there's not a place in the world I haven't seen at least once."

Mali puzzled over the map like Lina, Gourry and Amelia each had at one point in time. If it's a puzzle, it's a pictorial one, because there aren't any directions, any words at all." She turned it over several times, first clockwise, then anti-clockwise, and even turned it over. She held it against the light of the candle that had been lit when it had begun to grow dark. Frowning in concentration, she squinted at a dark corner of the map.

"There's something here, I think, but it's not very clear."

Lina cast a light spell and held the ball of light under the map, illuminating it far better than any number of candles could have. "Better?"

"Much." She peered closely at the dark splotch, much more distinct now, against the bright light. "It looks like a picture of some sort." She called Amelia over. "What does it look like to you?"

Amelia and Lina stared at the tiny pictogram. "Fire?" Lina suggested.

"Maybe it's one of those things that have to be warm before you can see anything." Gourry said, from his seat at the table in the middle of the room. When the girls only stared at him in confusion and curiosity, he continued. "My mom once showed me how to draw pictures with lemon juice or something, and after it dried, she'd hold it near a candle, and my picture would appear. I thought it was pretty cool." He smiled at the memory.

"I wish he'd be this intelligent all the time." Lina sighed.

"How on earth would lemon juice last for so many years?" Gourry asked, confused. He watched as the girls, save his wife who was by now quite used to his instantaneous appearance and disappearance of intelligence, toppled over in exasperation.

After picking herself up from the floor, Mali replied. "I don't think whoever made this would use lemon juice, mainly because something like that would last and it would be too visible. It could be a spell of some sort, to mimic the effect heat has on lemon juice and parchment."

"One fireball coming up." Lina said, already letting the fiery orange spell grow in her hand.

"Why don't we just use the candle?" Amelia said hastily, reminded of the destruction one of Lina's simple fireballs could wreak. She breathed a sigh of relief when Lina cancelled the spell.

Mali held the parchment over the candle flame, her hands steady. At first nothing happened, and she was about to remove the parchment, when all of a sudden, the candle flame leapt up, licking at the map, and consumed the precious sheet. She released it, but it remained hovering in the air. Amelia would have doused it in water, but a picture began to show on flaming map.

"I recognise that!" The old man said excitedly, leaning so far out of bed that he was in danger of falling out of the bed. "I know where that is! It's the old city of Sairaag!" He exclaimed, his papery voice cracking as he spoke.

"Sairaag?" Lina echoed.

"Not the current one," he said impatiently. "The _old_ city. It leans a few miles closer to the desert than the current city. Take New Sairaag and translate it about a maximum of ten miles in the direction of the desert and you get where Old Sairaag used to be. There are still people living there, but it's mainly the poor. It's nothing but ruins and a few dilapidated little huts. Of course the last time I was there was over a decade ago, but I don't think it's changed much."

Amelia was still staring at the burning map, which strangely, wasn't charring. It remained as unmarked as it had been before it had caught fire. And then, just as abruptly as it had caught fire, it fluttered to the table, flames mysteriously extinguished.

"I suppose that we're going to go to Old Sairaag?" Gourry asked calmly.

"Yes, Gourry, we will. But we'll still stop by Sylphiel's first. She'll feed us." Lina smiled.

"Good, because Sylphiel's cooking is really, _really_ good."

"I whole-heartedly agree."

"It's not right to take advantage of Sylphiel-san like that." Amelia protested.

"C'mon. You have to admit, her cooking is wonderful."

"Yeah, but-"

"So? Besides, she'll be happy to see us. Wouldn't that be payment enough?"

"But-"

"You wanted to tag along, so you'll just have to play by our rules."

Amelia sighed. "You're a bully, you know that, Lina-san?"

"Sure. And I use it to its fullest potential."

"And don't I know it…" Gourry muttered. That comment earned him a well-aimed nudge from one of Lina's lethal elbows. "Oof!" He gasped as the air left his lungs. "Lina!" He sulked, turning his face to Amelia. "See?"

"Poor Gourry-san." Amelia's tone was sympathetic, but she was trying to suppress a grin. It truly was amusing to watch Lina and Gourry tease each other. Their relationship represented so much of what she preached daily, so much the very essence of what she wanted for herself. Most of the time, there wasn't much peace in their relationship, but there was love. Yes, there was enough love there to impress even the indifferent Golden Lord. She wondered if she could ever have something even close to what her two friends had. Amelia sighed aloud, her cheeks rosy from daydreams.

"Someone's thinking of Zelgadiss!" Lina teased, her eyes sparkling with mirth.

Amelia blushed and looked away, muttering about how pregnant women should just stay at home.

They managed to reach Sairaag without much delay. Once in Sairaag, they visited Sylphiel, who immediately began bringing out snacks. She busied herself with cooking, while her guests filled her in on their journey.

"So, Lina-san, how's the baby?"

"Why does everyone keep asking me that?! It's obviously still _in_ there!" She rolled her eyes, but smiled slightly anyway, just to make sure Sylphiel understood that she wasn't upset.

"When it's time for the little one to be out, you'll be wishing it would just _stay_ in there," Sylphiel laughed.

Lina basked in the warmth and security Sylphiel's home seemed to radiate. She hadn't known how much she had missed the shrine maiden until now. Amelia's castle emanated just as much sanctuary, but there was a homey warmth missing from it that Sylphiel's home was just brimming with.

"How long would it take to get to Old Sairaag?" Lina asked, already planning the following day's agenda.

Sylphiel thought for a brief moment, tapping a finger to her chin. "I don't know. I suppose a few hours." She smiled. "It would depend on how many things you intend to set on fire on your way."

Lina scowled, her eyes glittering with laughter, and banged her fist on the table. "What do you mean?! They always get in my way!"

Gourry chuckled, and Sylphiel grinned and tended to her cooking. The night was filled with the scent of cooking food and good-natured teasing, and later, when Sylphiel had decided that she had cook enough to temporarily appease Lina and Gourry's appetites, laughter rang through the air, interrupted only by munching and chomping.

They were off for Old Sairaag by mid-morning, and they encountered minimal distractions along the way. There were the occasional thieves looking for weak saps along the deserted route they were on and one small band of bandits who had been pathetically easy to defeat. But other than those small-time criminals, there had been little excitement. As usual, their trail was marked by patches of charred earth and grass where their battles had taken place.

Old Sairaag had once been as great a city as its successor, busy, streets bustling with activity and teeming with people. However, now, it was a mere tiptoe away from being a ruin. There were several huts where squatters had claimed the land as their own, as well as cracked stone and fallen rock and rubble that was all that was left of the once majestic temples and shrines and beautiful dwellings that graced the area. There were a few young children playing amongst the fallen stones, hiding, playing catch, pretending that they were on an adventure.

"Shabby place… Why would anyone hide a sword here?" Gourry asked.

"Probably because it's the last place anyone would choose to search fro a magical sword. Besides, there used to be shrines and temples and other sacred places here. It seems logical that a magical sword would be in an equally magical place." She looked around and saw only rubble and fallen towers and partially standing temples. "Hey, Sylphiel, can you sense anything, being a shrine maiden and all?"

Sylphiel shut her eyes and stood there, calm and serene. When she opened her eyes once more, she shook her head in Lina's direction. "I can only sense the lingering power from those faded days of glory. There is a source of great power nearby, but it isn't directly in Old Sairaag."

"Where is it, then, if not in Old Sairaag?" Lina queried. Had the old man been wrong, then, about the location the map showed? She doubted so, for he had seemed so certain.

"I… I'm not too sure. All I know is that it is not in either Sairaag or Old Sairaag, but rather, a little bit off both."

"So it's what, between?" Gourry asked, not quite understanding what Lina and Sylphiel were talking about. "But I thought that Sairaag and Old Sairaag shared a border."

"They do," Lina replied, frustrated. "There _is_ no in between."

"Did that man get it wrong? About the map, I mean." Gourry scratched at his head in confusion.

Lina frowned, a finger absently rubbing her still-flat belly. "No, no I don't think so. I believe he got it right. But I don't know how to explain this…"

"Maybe it's underground, Lina-san," Amelia piped up. "Could it be in an underground shrine of some sort?"

Lina turned to look at Sylphiel for an answer. The dark-haired shrine maiden thought for a moment, silent, before speaking. "It could be possible, I suppose. But supposing there is an underground shrine, we have to find an entrance, and I don't know exactly where that power is."

"Could you use that little divining trick, like you did to determine which path to take?" Lina asked.

"I think so… There's just one problem. I didn't bring it with me. It's one of the few prized possessions that I have and I didn't want to risk losing it."

"Would a regular stick work?" Lina struggled to control the annoyance that was boiling in her. It wasn't the shrine maiden's fault; it wasn't anybody's fault, really. She told herself that over and over again, hoping to make the frustration ebb. It did, to some extent, but didn't fade completely.

"Oh, Lina-san, I really don't know. I could give it a try, though. Amelia-san, do you have anything slightly magical that could act as a divining rod?" She could see the exasperation simmering in Lina's eyes and she knew that it was only out of newly cultivated patience that the redhead hadn't begun screeching and throwing spells left, right and centre.

Amelia looked in her satchel, marvelling at Lina's newfound control over her temper. Still, like Sylphiel, she could see that that control was quickly wearing thin. Add Lina's short and violent temper to pregnant mood-swings and the situation was extremely volatile. She hoped that she had something that might help, even the least bit. She hated it every time something popped up and she was helpless to do anything. It made her feel like excess baggage, like a stone weighing down her comrades.

Eventually, however, just as she had given up hope of finding something that could be used by Sylphiel as a conduit, she found a small sceptre her father had given to her when she was younger. It had become sort of a good-luck charm to her. It was perhaps no longer than seven inches and decorated with cotton candy pink and white silk ribbons that fluttered with even the faintest movement.

"Hey, Sylphiel, what about this?" She held out the small pink-and-white beribboned object, colouring faintly when Lina groaned with vexation. "It's something my father gave me when I was a child and well, I don't think it's magical or anything, but it's sort of like a charm to me. Would it work?"

Sylphiel took it in her hands and smiled faintly. "There is a lot of love in this. Sometimes, great love can imbue an object with a slight hint of power. It could work. Let's give it a try." She balanced it on its widest end and knelt before it. She murmured prayers, her eyes closed, head bowed, and hands clasped. When she was done, everyone waited, unconsciously holding their breaths. The little sceptre teetered to one side, then leaned towards another side and finally toppled, pointing to a small hill.

"Okay, so we march towards the hill." Lina strode off at a brisk pace, Gourry hurriedly following her. The remaining two had no choice but to run after them, Amelia trying to keep her beloved sceptre without dropping it.

The Old Sairaag border didn't extend very far in that direction, only barely even two miles or so. They were at the border soon enough and nothing but dilapidated huts met their eyes. There were piles of stones scattered all over the place and the ruins of what might have once been a grand house. Even the vegetation refused to thrive, for only stiff grasses and prickly shrubs seemed to grow.

"There is _nothing_ here!!!" Lina knew that foot stomping was extremely childish, but for the love of Cepheid, she couldn't stop herself. She stamped her foot down, as if to kill a deadly cockroach, and screeched as if the future of the world depended on it. By the time she was done, even tolerant Gourry had his hands firmly clamped over his ears and Amelia and Sylphiel looked ready to leak blood and brains from their ears.

"Okay, I'm done now. You three can stop that."

Gourry cocked his head to one side. "What're you saying?" He bellowed. "Can't hear you!"

She scowled and yanked one hand off, replacing it with her mouth. "You can stop it now!!!" She snarled.

He winced and hopped away from her. "Damn it, Lina!"

Amelia and Sylphiel, not wanting something similar happen to them hesitantly took their hands from their ears, rather like a child dipping a toe into water. Finding the decibel level to be safe for their ears, they smiled. Faintly.

"Uh, Lina-san, are you all right?" Amelia asked warily.

"No, I am _not_ 'all right'! We walked all the way over here and there is _nothing_ here! There isn't even a fallen temple that might harbour some secret entrance or something!"

"Why don't we check the houses and stuff? You know, just in case." Amelia grabbed Sylphiel by the hand and dragged the maiden away, not wanting to get stuck with a pregnant Lina.

"I can almost see her at one of her diplomatic duties…" Lina grumbled, letting Gourry lead her to one of the neglected huts on their side of the ghost village.

They checked the first of the huts and found nothing but broken furniture and moth-eaten fabrics. The following few housed similar things, except that one or two had mice and rats and a miscellaneous array of multi-legged creatures as boarders.

Meanwhile, Amelia and Sylphiel were having similar luck, except that one of the spiders had tried to scurry past the latter and Amelia and kicked it away in comparable terror. They huddled together in shock for a moment or two, then proceeded to continue with much more caution.

The two pairs met at the wrecked house and exchanged horror stories.

"A spider? We found spiders, mice, rats, worms, beetles-"

"We found all that, it's just the spider tried to _attack_ us!" Amelia gasped.

Gourry couldn't help but sigh as the women competed to see who had it worse. Two could cast Dragon Slaves—one being the woman who had cast the _Giga_ Slave in the attempt to destroy both Shabranigdu and the Hellmaster Phibrizzo—while the other could cast a Ra Tilt and they were all afraid of bugs. Sometimes, he really didn't understand them. He also couldn't understand why Lina had no problem with impaling caterpillars on fishing hooks but couldn't tolerate the sight of a slug, which they happened to have encountered in one of the forgotten gardens behind a hut.

One of them must have won eventually, or so he assumed, for Amelia jerked straight and cupped her ear in one direction. Had she been an animal, her ear would probably have begun twitching. They followed likewise, not knowing exactly what to listen out for. After a moment or so, Lina sighed.

"What is it, Amelia?"

"I thought I heard a noise."

"It could have just been the wind blowing through the gaps in the huts."

"Followers of Justice have finely-tuned hearing. Besides, there wasn't any wind." She crossed her arms and smiled, her smug features simply screaming 'Justice!!!', a leg propped up on a conveniently placed rock.

Lina slapped a hand to her forehead in exasperation and Sylphiel tried not to giggle when the former rubbed the spot where she had hit too hard.

"Hey, Amelia, did it sound like someone crying?" Gourry asked, his hand still curved behind one ear.

"Yeah, how'd you guess?"

"Uh, because that's what I'm hearing." He shrugged.

Amelia shot Lina an 'I told you I was right' look. "Where do you think it's coming from?"

"I thought just people shouldn't gloat?" Lina muttered darkly. Of course, no one heard her. They were all too busy straining their ears to locate the source of the sound.

"I think it's coming from this old house!" Amelia exclaimed.

"Gee, you think?" Lina scowled. They'd checked all the other places and found them empty, hadn't they?

Amelia tried to open the front door, but found it jammed shut. "I think it's locked," she grunted, throwing her weight against the door. "Or maybe rusted shut." Gourry helped her out, but even with the added force, the door refused to budge. While they rammed their bodies against the stubborn door, Sylphiel kicked at it, hoping that little story about the mouse helping pull the turnip was true.

"It's really too bad we don't have the Hikari no Ken now, Gourry-san. It would have been really useful."

"I know," he grunted. "I'm suddenly missing it a lot more than usual."

"Why can't we fireball it, Amelia-san?"

"Oh, it's so old and it looks rather weak. We don't want to risk the whole thing just falling down."

Finally, Gourry tired of throwing himself at a rusty old door. He hoped that the sword he was currently using would suffice and slashed at the door. After all, it was old, right? Miraculously, as most good occurrences were in their universe, the door splintered and he heard a surprised yelp from inside.

"Gourry? Gourry, you thickheaded dolt! Watch where you smash things! Good Cepheid, the pieces could have hit me!"

"Lina? Hey wait a minute-"

"Lina-san? How'd you get in? I know you can be fast sometimes, but we didn't even see you-"

Lina sighed. "And that's just it, isn't it? As to how I got in, there's a hole in the wall behind me." They groaned and she couldn't prevent a smirk from spreading across her face. "Come on, it's getting late. We've wasted enough time here."

They checked as much of the house as they felt it safe, but found nothing. There was only one place left to check, after they failed to turn up anything in the other rooms. They tried the cellar.

"It's locked or jammed or something," Gourry grunted, shoving at the door.

"Careful, Gourry. This thing might collapse if you shake things up too much," Lina warned.

"Whatever." He tried turning the lock this way and that, and eventually determined that the problem wasn't that the door was locked. He took a closer look at the hinges and found that they were rusted stiff. "Hey, Lina, remember that spell to polish up tarnished silver and all?"

"Of course."

"Well this door's rusted shut."

"Oh." She magically polished the hinges and Gourry was able to open the cellar door easily. "Careful. We don't know what's down there," she muttered, when Gourry went in first, sword drawn.

They walked down the steps silently. At first they heard nothing. But then the weeping returned. The noise seemed to be coming from deep in the cellar, but they couldn't see anything or anyone, even with Lina's light spell. The flight of stairs seemed to last an eternity, as they walked down in total darkness, surrounded only but a small corona of light.

"It sounds human, so maybe that's a good thing," Gourry said quietly.

"Hello, Xelloss can sound human as well, and we all know _he's_ not a good thing."

"Lina-san, give Xelloss-san a chance. I'm sure with enough influence from warriors of justice and peace such as ourselves, he will eventually change for the better!"

"Sure, and the Hellmaster will rise from his grave only L-sama knows where," Lina snorted. "Amelia, mazoku are bad. They are evil given form and shape. The day Xelloss spouts speeches on pacifism and preserving peace is the day I feel full after eating just one drumstick."

Amelia pouted, about to reply, when Lina narrowed her eyes and held a finger to her lips. "Shh…" She pointed down to a vague figure in a corner. The figure was slowly revealed as they walked closer and the light penetrated the inner darkness of the cellar.

"It's a little girl…" Sylphiel whispered in horror. "What's she doing all the way down here?"

"I don't know. It seems suspicious for her to be here when even Gourry couldn't pry open the door without magical assistance."

"Who-" Their voices had captured the attention of the little child huddled in the corner. She lifted her head slightly to look at Lina. A small, hesitant smile broke out over her features, her opalescent eyes alit with hope. "Did Papa send you? Can you bring me back? I want to tell him I'm sorry!"

"Papa? Who's 'Papa'?" Gourry asked.

Her smile faltered, then faded away. "Oh. So he didn't send you to find me?"

"Who's your father? Maybe we have met him before," Lina replied, after kicking Gourry in the shin for his tactless query.

"Papa works in the village, it's right next to Sairaag, just a bit beyond the border. He makes glass ornaments and glassware."

"If you live so far away, how in L-sama's name did you end up all the way _here_?"

The girl glanced down sheepishly at her feet. "I accidentally broke a big vase that Papa worked on for days. I didn't _mean_ to! And I told him that, but he still scolded me." She frowned, her lower lip trembling. "So I told him that he didn't love me and that I hated him and I never wanted to see him again. So I ran away. Then I got lost. I found this house and it was cold outside, so I came in and I fell down the hole in the ceiling at the top of those stairs."

She sniffled and wiped her nose with the back of her hand. "It hurt… I've been here for two whole days and I'm hungry! I finished all the cookies and water I brought with me. I thought Papa would catch up with me and bring me home…" And then fresh tears began pouring down her cheeks as she cried again. "I'll bet Papa doesn't even know I'm gone!!!"

Lina shuffled her feet, not really proficient at handling emotionally distraught children. "Amelia," she pleaded.

"I'm sure he's worried sick, wondering where you are right now," Amelia told the girl, crouching down beside her. "Parents always love their children, and I'm sure your papa loves you a lot."

"Really?" A tear-choked voice asked, bewildered.

"Of course! My Daddy always frets whenever I leave the house, and that's after he knows that I'm leaving! And when I return, he makes a huge production about it! He throws parties, holds banquets… I can only imagine how he'd react if I suddenly disappeared. I think your papa feels horrible now, because the last thing he said to you were mean things and now he doesn't know if he'll even see you again to make things better."

"Daddy wasn't really mean… But he told me that I wasn't allowed any cookies for dessert for a whole month." She hiccupped. "That's why I took them." She held out a large, crumb-speckled handkerchief. "I took one of Papa's big hankies and wrapped the cookies in it, but I ate them all. I got really hungry walking so far."

"I've got a few apples in my pack if you want them," Sylphiel piped in.

"Can I have one?" She added as an afterthought, "Please?"

"Certainly!" Sylphiel dug into her pack and brought out two. "Here, one for now, one for if you get hungry later."

"Thank you." She bit hungrily into one dully-polished apple, juice trickling down her chin.

She was hungry enough to finish both apples.

"I'm sorry, I know you said one was for later, but I was really, _really_ hungry."

"That's okay, I have lots more."

She stood up carefully, a small sack in her arms. "Can you take me home? I miss Papa."

Amelia looked up Lina, her eyes gooey with tears. "Please, Lina-san? Her story is so touching! She is so full of love for her father! We must take her back!!!"

Lina stumbled back a step from Amelia, for the girl was now looming over her, tear-filled eyes full of justice-mania. "Uh, okay, I don't see why we can make a detour. It's not like we have any real leads on Gourry's sword or anything. Maybe we can find something where she lives."

"Oh, thank you, Lina-san! Justice and kind acts are always rewarded!" Amelia turned to the girl. "Could you direct us?"

"I think so. I know how to go home from Sairaag, because sometimes, when Papa makes his deliveries, he brings me along."

"So that's settled. We'll go over to Sylphiel's place for some food and then we'll bring you home." Lina smiled, dazed, at the thought of a stomach full of Sylphiel's cooking. The woman was a goddess in the kitchen. "By the way, I'm Lina. The Justice Maniac next to you is Amelia, and that's Sylphiel over there, by the wall—we'll be going over to her house for a meal since she lives in Sairaag, okay? Oh, yes, and that yellow jellyfish is Gourry."

The girl blinked at the verbal barrage. "My name is Deimia."


	7. chapter six

The journey back to Sairaag was relatively uneventful, for Lina had rid the route of bandits earlier. They reached Sairaag soon enough, and Lina couldn't wait for Sylphiel to begin cooking. She couldn't think of anyone who was more skilled in the culinary, save the royal chefs in Seyruune. Those people were simply… Lina had no words to describe their talent.

"So, Sylphiel, what's for dinner?"

"It's barely evening, she pointed out. Dinner won't be ready for another-"

Lina bared fangs and snarled at her, red eyes fiery. "How long?"

Sweatdrops were shared all around and Sylphiel backed away slowly, twitching grin on her face. "I meant to say for another hour or so. I'll…I'll start right now!" Sylphiel grabbed Amelia by the wrist and dragged the princess away. "Amelia can help me chop the ingredients!"

Amelia protested, wanting to talk with the young girl who was, by the way, staring at them with stunned amusement.

"Let's call this payback for earlier when you hauled me away to find spiders and mice," the former shrine maiden hissed, panic in her lapis eyes.

Amelia, believing in divine retribution, reluctantly followed, although Sylphiel did hear her mutter something about pregnant women, Lina, _pregnant Lina_, and the annihilation of the entire world. Once in the kitchen, Sylphiel heaved a sigh of great relief. She was truly excited about Lina's pregnancy, but it was making the powerful sorceress even _more_ bitchy and violent than usual. She had once thought that an impossible occurrence.

"Well, now that we're out of the way of a fireball, let's get cooking. Her bottomless-pit-ness is hungry and gestating and must be fed at all costs."

Amelia raised an eyebrow at that comment, but said nothing and instead got to work chopping the onions and carrots a various other vegetables passed to her. After all, it wouldn't do to piss off the woman who was willingly feeding them. And for free, for that matter. Added to the fact that Sylphiel was wielding a huge chopper, never mind that it was for the whole chicken lying on the huge wooden chopping block.

"Lina, don't you think you're being a little hard on Sylphiel? We did just come back from a trip and Sylphiel must be very tired. And it _is _her house…"

"And you think it's a walk in the White Capital park to ferry around this heavy little hitchhiker?"

Gourry blinked and found himself staring into enraged eyes that were dangerously narrowed and gleaming with violence. He remembered seeing such eyes once when he was a little boy and had a nightmare involving a throng of famished mazoku. Wisely, he backed away several steps, his hands held out in an attempt to placate his extremely temperamental wife. He absently mused on his good fortune to have left his armour on. Sometimes laziness _did_ pay off.

"But if our kid's heavy, it only means that you're being such a good mother and taking really good care of him and making sure that it grows big and healthy and…um…"

Gourry's eyes darted left and right as he rambled, wondering why the two former shrine maidens were taking so long in the kitchen. They were _never_ around when he needed saving. And even when they were, all they did was sigh and step aside as Lina sent him flying past.

"Hey, Lina, you're really hungry, right? Why don't you stay in that chair and I'll go help Amelia and Sylphiel!" Without waiting for her reply, he sped off into the kitchen, leaving his annoyed wife in Sylphiel's living room, with no one for company save the stunned little girl they had promised to return home.

"Are they always like that?" Deimia asked, not having seen one pregnant woman so feared before.

"Idiots, the lot of them…" Lina mumbled, crimson eyes still sparking with violence. "I feel like blowing something up right now!"

Deimia sweatdropped and wondered if following the previous examples before her would be a good idea. "Um, Papa always said that if you want to blow something up, don't do it in the house. Especially if it's not your house."

Lina arched one slim brow at the little girl. "Are you trying to tell me something, kid?"

Deimia gulped at the glare aimed her way. "Um, no, of course not! Just musing that Papa occasionally tells me such things. I think it's because he once had a customer who was in a bad mood and accidentally cast a fireball around and blew his shop down, that's what he told me-"

"I repeat: are you trying to tell me something?"

Deimia could see fangs. She stumbled from the chair, in a rush to get to the door. "I think I'll go pick some flowers for Sylphiel-san, to thank her for taking care of us and feeding us and all!" The last few words trailed out of the open door, where the girl had disappeared out.

Lina sighed and rested her head in her palm, elbow propped on the table. "Was it something I said?"

* * *

"Dinner is served!" Sylphiel announced as she carried out a huge steaming stew pot of…stew. Amelia followed close behind, two extra large platters of meat and vegetables. Gourry brought up the rear with another two platters heaped with fish and poultry.

"Chow time!" Lina exclaimed gleefully. She grabbed her cutlery immediately and waited for her 'servers' to set down her food. She waited.

They didn't put the food down.

"What are you waiting for?!"

"Hey, Lina, where's the kid?"

"Gourry-san, she has a name!" Amelia scolded, appalled at his lack of manners.

"I know! I, uh, forgot it, that's all."

Had it been anyone else, Amelia would have lapsed into a lengthy speech on the impoliteness and injustice of forgetting a child's name—especially a child who was currently under their guardianship. But this was Gourry, and Amelia, while over-enthusiastic when it came to upholding justice and all things good, understood her friend well enough to know that his lapses in memory were just that.

"You're right, Gourry-sama, she's gone!" Sylphiel scanned the room—which was actually not as large as it sounds—but to no avail.

"Ah, the brat just went out to pick flowers. She'll be in when she wants to. No put the food on the table! I'm hungry!" She wailed.

"Lina-san! You let a small child out of your sight?!" Amelia chucked the two platters at Gourry, who staggered under the weight and imbalance. She ran out to find Deimia.

"Sylphiel!" Gourry stumbled back, trying to balance four gigantic platters using only two arms.

"Oh no!" She unceremoniously dumped the pot in Lina's arms and rushed to Gourry's aid. She managed to save the food before any fell to the floor, and placed the platters on the table with a relieved sigh. But the pot she had left with Lina was fresh from the stove, and while the petite sorceress was accustomed to blazing fireballs, steaming stew pots were totally foreign to her and she screeched.

"L-sama!!! Sylphiel! You chucked a red-hot pot in my hands!!!" She almost dropped it, but remembered just in time that painful as the pot was, it contained her dinner, and plunked it down on the table with a loud 'thunk'. Food out of danger, she resumed her tirade. "As if it's not enough that my feet are swollen, you have to give me hands to match?!"

"But Lina-" Sylphiel began backing away from her, not caring that there was a table separating Lina and herself.

"Gourry! It's all your fault! If you hadn't tripped on your own bumbling feet then Sylphiel wouldn't have to save my food and she wouldn't have dumped this boiling pot in my hands and it wouldn't have made them all blistered and swelling to match my feet which are all puffy because I'm pregnant because you put this baby inside me!!!"

Amelia had just entered the house with Deimia in tow, and was marvelling over Lina's excellent lung volume. Did she really say all that in one breath?

"Wow," Deimia remarked, equally awed.

Sparkly-eyed, Amelia wished for that amount of lung power to supplement her speeches. Sometimes Lina was just amazing.

"Ahem," Deimia coughed politely. "I'm sorry if I caused any of you to worry. I wanted to thank Sylphiel-san for having me here, so I went to pick some flowers." She held out a small bunch of wildflowers and pretty weeds, smiling somewhat sheepishly. "I did tell Lina-san that, though…" But she saw Lina turned her head sharply to glare at her and quickly continued, "But I'm terribly sorry all the same that I made all of you worry!"

Gourry laughed and patted her on the head, ruffling her pale hair. "You scared us for a moment, but we're all glad that you're safe." He crouched down beside her. "Those are beautiful flowers! Where did you find them?"

Deimia beamed at him. "They weren't all that far from Sylphiel-san's house. I didn't want to stray too far in case I got lost again… I found some beneath a tree, and these," she said, pointing to a pair of bright yellow blooms, "I found kinda hidden by a big bush!" She handed the flowers to Gourry stalk by stalk as she told him where she'd found them and how.

"Wow, you worked really hard finding all of these, didn't you? Sylphiel, they're really pretty, aren't they?" He handed them to Sylphiel, who, after a brief moment of amusement, received them.

"Thank you so much, Deimia. I'll go put them in a vase and display them on that window ledge."

"You're welcome," Deimia murmured, a faint blush tinting her fair cheeks pink.

"You must be _really_ hungry, right? I remember you said you finished up all your cookies and one of Sylphiel's apples." He grinned and hoisted her high into the air, before swooping her down onto a chair. She giggled and laughed as she sailed through the air.

"Do it again! Do it again!"

A lop-sided smile on his face, he scratched the side of his head. "Lina's hungry. She's eating for two now, you know? Maybe after dinner. Okay?"

"Okay! Okay!"

Lina watched her husband and the tiny imp of a girl. He was so good with children, she thought. Before the Hellmaster had revealed himself to them, Gourry had taken it upon himself to shield the little mazoku from harm. He'd befriended all the children they came across on their journeys. And hadn't he been the first one to come across Amelia all that time ago? He was so likeable, he never really had to use any charm to make friends, to have the ladies chasing after him. Even with Lina, he hadn't tried charming her with slick words and cunning tricks and expensive presents. He'd just been his usual courageous, heroic, self-sacrificing self. And she'd just fallen for him.

She knew that she'd been acting like a veritable shrew on and off ever since she got pregnant. She was glad that her friends, while wary, were understanding enough to ignore her shortened temper and tolerate her increasingly volatile moods. She also knew that Sylphiel didn't _have_ to be so nice to them—her especially.

She knew that the ex-shrine maiden had once harboured feelings for Gourry. And Lina thought briefly that she would have made a better wife for Gourry. After all, Sylphiel could cook wonderful meals, she could manage a household, and she certainly had a much sweeter temperament. She didn't wander around on extended journeys that tended to end in death and devastation and plots to end the world. Or take over it. Sylphiel didn't blow things up just because she was pissed off—and indeed, how often did Sylphiel get really angry? The woman had such enviable control over what little temper she had. And like Gourry, she was a natural when it came to handling children. Sylphiel and Gourry would have made such a couple, like something straight out of a picture.

And that was why she'd been so utterly confused when she realised that Gourry didn't want Sylphiel, but _her_. Lina. The same Lina who blew up inns, bandits, demons and allies alike. The Lina who would snap at anyone if they simply tread on her toes. That very same woman who thought that food and gold and treasures were the very things holding existence together. Gourry preferred the partially-crazed redheaded sorceress with the seemingly limitless powers, who made it a habit to get herself in all sorts of life-threatening situations when most girls her age were learning the wifely arts or at least occupying their time with something less destructive than blowing up the world.

Her amour-shielded heart melted when she thought about her blond knight with the impossible memory and incredible skills with a blade. He was really something, no matter what she said out loud. She knew that she treated him really horribly sometimes. And he loved her despite all that.

"Hey Lina, you okay? I hope we didn't make you wait too long. We really tried to cook as fast as possible."

Snapped out of her thoughts, she found Gourry looking at her, concern making little creases between his brows. She smiled brightly at him and gave him a quick kiss.

"Thank you for being so sweet."

Stunned, Gourry simply sat there, staring like a rock. Then he grinned. "No problem. Comes with the husband package." Her moods really shifted these days, he mused, but a happy Lina was far better to have around than a pissed-off one. He began piling foods that he knew she liked onto her platter before helping himself to the feast set out before them.

They polished off all the food before long, and Deimia—hungry as she was—was stunned at the vision of Lina eating. She'd never seen anything quite like it before. The little redhead just seemed to eat, and eat, and eat, and eat, and there was no end to how much she could stuff into her mouth. She knew that Lina had a baby growing inside her and that she'd have to eat more than usual to make sure that the baby had enough food, but really. Lina was taking even _that_ a bit too far.

By the time they finished dinner, the sky was dark, and there was no way that they were going to be able to locate Deimia's father so late. There was no choice but for the child to stay over for the night. Not that anyone really minded. Deimia seemed to be having too much fun to feel lonely without her father. Gourry—true to his word—had continued playing with her after dinner had settled in his stomach. He swung her up and down and performed dives and great leaps. Deimia laughed until her sides ached. It was like when Papa had extra time after a delivery and took her on a wild Ray Wing trip.

The moon was high in the night sky when she yawned and curled up in Gourry's arms. "Mm, goodnight Papa," she murmured as she slipped into sleep.

Gourry gazed down at her and stroked her hair as he carried her to Sylphiel's guest room. There was a small bed that she had found unwanted in a heap outside someone else's house. Not knowing what to do with it, the gentle maiden had brought it back to her house and stored it in her guest room. After all, one never knew when one's friends might have children. Or when _she_ herself might have a few.

Sylphiel had changed the sheets when it was confirmed that Deimia would be staying the night. He laid the slumbering girl on crisp, cool, candy-coloured sheets and gave her a little goodnight kiss. She sighed for her Papa again with a sleepy smile and fell silent once more. He tucked the pale pink blanket around Deimia and shut the door silently. He wondered if his and Lina's child would be as sweet as the little girl lying in Sylphiel's kiddy bed. He hoped so.

Then, he joined his friends and wife in the living room, where they chatted and laughed and shared stories and concerns and jokes. It was deep into the night when they finally retired. Sylphiel quite happily took the sofa—she was the hostess after all, she told them—and let Lina and Gourry have her room. Amelia shared the guestroom with Deimia. There was a comfortable futon there that Sylphiel aired fairly often, given her friends' propensity for unexpected visits.

That night, they all slept peacefully. The nightmares that had plagued them recently left them alone. The night was silent and still, the air sweetly cool. They slept deeply and dreamlessly.

* * *

The following morning, after breakfast, they made their way to the little town nearby, where Deimia had said she lived. The path to the village was bustling since it was rather late in the morning. They had sought their beds way past midnight after a late night of merrymaking and their sleep had been to good that by the time they woke up and ate breakfast, it was close to noon.

When they reached the village square, Deimia pointed excitedly to landmarks she knew well and to several shops that she'd visited before and liked.

"That's the apothecary that Papa goes to sometimes and sometimes he brings me along too! They have some really strange stuff and it smells weird, but I love going there!" She pointed to an old wooden building, wrinkling her nose delicately at the smells emanating from it. Then she pointed to a cheerier building. There were dolls and stuffed animals and various other toys behind the glass window.

"That's the toy shop! Oh, I _love_ it there! Sometimes, if Papa's really busy, he'll leave me there with the lady and I get to play with the toys all day long until he's done!" She jumped up and down as she pointed at yet another place. "The candy store!!!"

"And where does your Papa live?" Amelia asked, for once finding all the energy Deimia was exuding a bit tiring.

"Oh, right. I missed the village so much!" She tugged lightly on Gourry's hand—which she was holding—and lead him towards a shop constructed out of bluish-grey stone. "That one," she said. "That's Papa's shop. We live at the back."

Lina strode to the shop, noted the well-crafted lantern hanging off the wall and the simple but beautiful sign that proclaimed it 'the Glassware Shoppe', and knocked on the plain door.

There was no answer.

Lina looked to Deimia for an explanation and the little girl shrugged. "Sometimes when Papa's very focused on what he's doing, he doesn't hear what's going on around him. Just go in. Papa won't mind as long as you don't disturb him while he's doing something."

Lina entered, pushing the wooden door. It opened easily. A crystalline tinkle alerted her to the little glass bell attached above the door. It was clear with translucent swirls of tangerine and butter yellow.

Immediately a wave of heat hit her, and beads of sweat began pouring down her face. She blinked in surprise, musing for a moment that this must be what it felt like to be caught in the path of one of her fireballs. Then Deimia groaned and stomped to a panel set onto the wall. She pressed one of the buttons and immediately, there was a wash of coolness. Lina sighed in relief, noticing from the similar sounds behind her that she wasn't the only one enjoying the respite from the thick, sweltering heat.

"It activates a spell that keeps customers cool while Papa works, without actually affecting Papa's glass while he shapes it. Papa forgets to switch it on sometimes. He must be in his workshop." She padded over to a door hidden in a slightly darkened corner of the shop and entered.

"Papa!!!"

Lina peered inside and saw a silhouette of a man magically crafting glass. The flames were very bright, and she shielded her eyes from the glare.

"Deimia?" He dropped what he was doing—though since he was using magic, everything remained floating in midair—and ran over to his daughter's side. "Deimia!" He enveloped her in a hug, stroking her hair as if to tell himself that she was really there.

"Papa, I'm so sorry that I ran away! It was a stupid thing to do and I promise I'll never, _ever_ do that again!"

"My little Deimia, you've come home, and that's all that matters. Come, tell me who these people are? Are they customers?"

She shook her head. "They're the nice people who found me and took care of me and brought me back home. They made me dinner and breakfast and let me sleep over because it was really late when we finished dinner. The nice man played lots of games with me!"

He stood up and brushed imaginary soot of his fingers. "Thank you all so much. You have no idea how much Deimia means to me. She is all that I have left, now that the rest of our family is dead. We're all alone now. Thank you for taking care of her and bringing her home. You are good people."

"Um, she's been a pretty good kid, so it wasn't any trouble." Then Lina smiled craftily. "Although, if you _want_ to give us a reward, we definitely wouldn't mind…"

"Oh, I _have_ to reward you for your good deed." He disappeared back into the room full of flames and returned with a leather pouch in his hands. He stumbled over a large pair of metal tongs and jostled the bag. Lina heard the tinkling sounds that hinted of coins and her smile widened. Mentally, she rubbed her hands together with glee.

He untied the pouch and carefully removed a figurine of a smiling little girl. "For you," he told Lina. "To represent your future as a mother." He plucked out another glass ornament from the bag. This time, it was a garden, complete with tree and rope swing and miniature shrubs and flowers. He handed that one to Sylphiel, who happened to be right behind Lina.

"You look like one to appreciate this," he explained.

"Thank you," she whispered, cradling the glass like a precious jewel. "It's beautiful…"

He dug into the dun-coloured leather bag again and produced a castle with turrets and battlements. "For a majestic and regal young lady such as yourself. May you find your prince charming."

"Oooh…" Amelia melted at the romantic thought and the delicate little figurine of what looked exactly like her home.

"Last, but definitely not least, thank you for making my Deimia so happy." Gourry's gift was an elaborately crafted miniature sword. It was fully detailed and almost ethereal-looking when a ray of sunlight lit it. "Good luck in protecting your lady," he said with a small smile. "She is a very special woman."

"Yes, she is," Gourry agreed. "She is everything to me."

Lina spluttered when she realised that their reward were the little glass ornaments. She was sure they would fetch a pretty high price if they sold them, since the workmanship was exquisite, but she was disappointed nonetheless. Especially since she didn't really want to sell her glass figurine.

He tied off the pouch once more and kept it back in the workshop. He led Deimia out of the room and shut it. Then, he whisked the baby blue bandana from his head and wiped his face with it. "My hair gets in my face otherwise," he explained with a smile.

When back in the main part of the shop, which was brightly lit, Lina gasped in surprise at Deimia's father. He was _very_ good-looking. Slightly wavy hair fell to his shoulders, where they curled gently. He absently tucked one midnight lock behind his ear and tucked his folded bandana into the front pocket on his working apron. Then he reached behind him and untied the apron strings. He draped the heavy garment over a chair. He was dressed in a simple tunic and loose trousers. Both were a deep sapphire blue. And when he smiled at them, his eyes twinkling with laughter, she saw that they were the same luminescent shade as his daughter's. He also looked quite young to have a daughter Deimia's age.

Gourry fought back a twinge of jealousy as he saw Lina admire Deimia's father. But then he saw Amelia and Sylphiel do the same and rolled his eyes in resignation. Besides, the man didn't even seem to notice the effect he had on women, and so Gourry decided to forgive him.

"You can call me Phii," he told them. At their raised brows, he shrugged his shoulders. "I had strange parents. One of them decided that Phiilix was a fine name."

"Ah, okay, um, Phii-san," Sylphiel said demurely. "I was wondering if you have a padded box for me to keep my little garden. It would be horrible if it were to accidentally get broken…"

"Unlikely, since they were crafted with magic, from a magical crystal. But all the same, to play things safe…" He handed them each a velvet-lined box perfectly sized for their ornaments.

"Magical crystal?" Lina repeated. "I didn't sense any magic from them."

"Ah, but their magic is very subtle. But still magical. I found them in a place full of magical energy."

"You do excellent work!" Amelia exclaimed. "I'll bet Daddy will request something from you when I show him this!"

Phii laughed somewhat sheepishly. "Surely you don't think I'm _that_ good."

"You're _amazing_!" Amelia beamed. "And you're pretty intuitive too! I live in a castle, and Sylphiel-san _loves_ plants, and Gourry-san is a swordsman! Well, he's currently without a sword now, but we're on a journey to fin him one!"

"Really? How useful it must be to have a swordsman on a journey with you."

"Gourry-san is _very_ skilled! In fact, he used to be the wielder of the Hikari no Ken!"

"I've heard of that sword. It's supposed to be a very powerful magical sword. I wonder if I could craft a replica of it…" He mused.

"We're looking for a new magical sword for him."

"Why a magical sword?" Phii asked, curious. He arranged some merchandise in his shop front window as he spoke, angling them to best catch the light.

"Because we seem to attract all sorts of mazoku along our journeys," Lina snorted. "Can't imagine why they always flock to us…" She muttered darkly.

Phii smiled widely once more. "That's because they can sense your power. You're a very strong sorceress, aren't you? The power emanates from you." He gave his display a cursory glance, and satisfied with it, turned his attention to the rest of his shop. "Such power… It must be really something to wield it." He turned to face them. "_You_ must be really something to wield it."

"Of course. I _am_ the one and only Lina Inverse, sorceress extraordinaire." Lina had many traits, both good and bad, and modesty was definitely not among them.

Phii laughed. "The little bit of magic in my trinkets must be almost like a joke to someone like you, then. Still, I hope you enjoy them."

Lina looked down at the little figurine and smiled softly. "They're beautiful," she replied quietly. "Thank you." And then she shut the box with a velvet-muted snap.


End file.
